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THE 
OGOWE  BAND 


A  NARRATIVE  OF  AFRICAN 
TRAVEL 


Bv 

JOSEPH  H.  READING 

L,ATE  SECRETARY  AND  TREASURER  OF  THE  GABOON  AND  CORISCO 
MISSION  AND  ACTING  COMMERCIAL  AGENT  FOR 
THE  U.  S.  OF  AMERICA. 


SECOND  EDITION 


PHILADELPHIA 
READING  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS 

lOig  CHERRY  STREET 
1890 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1890,  by 

JOSEPH  H.  READING 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


All  rights  reserved 


American  Printing  House 

Printers  anil  Engravers 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  MY  BELOVED 
ASSOCIATE 


REV.  c.  DEHEER 

THIS  BOOK  IS  LOVINGLY  DEDICATED 


THE   OGOWE   BAND 
BY  JOSEPH  H.  READING 


INTRODUCTORY 


A  BOOK  to  be  heartily  recommended  this.  I  know 
the  writer.  His  pen  has  painted  and  painted 
well  his  own  experiences  in  Africa.  One  of  the 
persons  whose  death  in  that  land  is  mentioned,  Miss  Dew- 
snap,  was  a  very  dear  early  companion  of  mine. 

The  book  abounds  with  charming  pen  pictures  as 
well  as  deeply  interesting  literal  ones.  There  is  "ever-so- 
much"  information  about  ocean  travel,  steamers,  sailors, 
whales,  sharks,  "  sea-serpents,"  etc.  There  is  a  burial 
at  sea. 

The  vessel  touches  at  Madeira  and  the  Canary  Islands. 
There  are  thrilling  descriptions  of  rides  down  the  moun- 
tain sides,  two  thousand  feet ! 

Sierra  Leone  is  described.  Here's  the  way  to  keep 
cool  when  the  "hot  wind"  of  that  land  blows;  sit  in  an 
earthen  jar  five  feet  high !  Need'nt  look  about  for  tele- 
graphs there ;  the  public  opinion  of  monkeys  has  not  yet 
been  educated  up  to  this  bit  of  civilization.  They  pull 
the  poles  down  as  soon  as  set  up,  and  dance  upon  them ! 

vii 


2229832 


Our  party  stop  at  Bonny,  at  Bishop  Crowther's,  the 
man  whose  history  is  quite  as  wonderful  as  fiction  in  some 
respects. 

The  drunkenness  of  the  natives,  or,  as  we  would  say, 
the  African  saloon,  the  curse  of  curses,  the  cancer  of  all 
lands ;  the  horrors  of  it — read  and  see  and  wonder  how 
Christian  America  can  help  on  this  horror  by  sending  rum 
to  that  land ! 

But  there  is  a  brighter  side.  We  must  visit  Mr. 
Reading's  home  and  after  a  season  of  rest,  he  will  show 
us  about  the  mission  stations  and  let  us  see  what  Jesus  is 
doing,  through  His  servants,  among  this  degraded  people, 
to  make  them  better  and  happier  and  prepared  for  "  His 
glorious  appearing." 

This  book  gives  you  the  visit ;  it  puts  you  among 
them.  Now  you  look  at  their  dress  and  wonder;  you 
taste  their  food,  notice  their  strange  ways  and  get  bits  of 
strangest  history. 

But  it  is  Christmas  now.  There  is  a  dinner  at  Mr. 
Reading's  missionary  station.  It  is  worth  your  journey 
there  to  see  the  provisions  and  sit  at  this  African- Amer- 
ican Christmas  table.  Having  read  this  remarkable  book, 
you  will  want  to  read  the  second  volume,  which  is  almost 
promised,  about  adventures  among  cannibals,  pigmies, 
etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

Reading  about  this  "  Ogowe  Band,"  and  my  thousand 
Pansies  who  are  in  Missionary  Societies  will  not  want 
for  something  to  say  or  do  in  the  meetings;  and  who 
knows  but  some  of  my  "Blossoms"  will  some  bright  day 
sail  away  to  Afric's  shore  to  fill  some  Miss  Dewsnap's 
place,  to  lead  those  dark  people  into  the  light  of  God ! 
May  this  book  lead  to  so  blessed  an  end ! 

MRS.  G.  R.  ALDEN. 


PREFACE 


ALL  the  characters  in  this  book  are  real,  true  people, 
and   were   living  in  the  early  part  of  this  year 
when  the  book  was  written  ;  but  while  it  was  going 
through  the  press  news  came  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Brier,  at 
Batanga,  and  of  Mr.  Gilles  and  Mrs.  Ross,  at  Old  Calabar, 
together  with  many  others  well  known  to  the  writer. 

All  the  scenes  and  incidents  portrayed  in  this  book 
are  tme,  the  only  fiction  consisting  in  making  these  the 
experiences  of  the  Ogowe  Band  instead  of  the  author. 
All  the  descriptions  of  scenery  were  copied  from  diaries 
written  upon  the  spot,  and  are  as  accurate  as  it  is  possible 
to  make  them. 

The  illustrations  were  made  expressly  for  this  work 
from  photographs,  many  of  which  were  taken  by  native 
artists. 

The  plan  of  the  book  has  been  to  give  a  realistic 
picture  of  West  Africa,  so  that  the  reader  may  form  a 
correct  idea  of  just  how  it  looks  to-day. 

Many  of  my  friends  who  know  the  Coast  well  will  be 
surprised  at  the  omission  of  many  things.  It  seemed  to 
me  best  to  pass  by  in  silence,  at  least  as  far  as  possible,  the 
deep  shadow  of  moral  evil  which  rests  like  a  pall  over 
African  life,  foreign  as  well  as  native.  Let  us  hope  that 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  which  is  now  rising  over  that 
dark  land,  may  soon  fill  the  whole  vast  continent  with  the 
light  of  heaven — with  purity  and  love ! 

J.  H.  R. 

Philadelphia,  October,  1890." 


CONTENTS 


Page 

CHAPTER      I — Voyage  to  Liverpool,  i 

II — Liverpool,      .         .         .         .  15 

"          III— Madeira, 33 

"  IV — Canary  Islands,  ....  50 
"  V — Tropical  Voyaging,  ...  67 

"  VI — Sierra  Leone  and  Liberia,  .  .  85 
"  VII — Ivory  Coast  and  Gold  Coast,  .  .  101 
"  VIII — Bonny  and  Fernando  Po,  .  .116 

"          IX— Old  Calabar, 132 

"  X — Kamerun  and  Eloby,       .         .         .148 

"  XI — Arrival  at  Gaboon,  .  .  .164 
"  XII — Baraka  and  Gaboon,  .  .  .179 
"  XIII— Church  Work  at  Gaboon,  .  .194 
"  XIV — Nomba  and  Ovendo  Point,  .  .  208 
"  XV — Picnic  Excursion  to  Sandy  Point,  .  223 

"       XVI— Benita, 238 

"  XVII— Bata,  Evuni,  Batanga,  .  .  .253 
"  XVIII— Return  to  Gaboon,  .  .  .268 
"  XIX — Political  Divisions  on  the  West  Coast,  277 


LIST  OF  FULL  PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FRONTISPIECE 

A  Tropic  Home 

CHAPTER  I 

Atlantic-Liner,  "  Lord  Gough  " 
Landing  Stage,  Liverpool 
Northwestern  Hotel,  Liverpool 

CHAPTER  II 

South  Castle  Street,  Liverpool 
Outer  Line  of  Docks,  Liverpool 
Inner  Line  of  Docks,  Liverpool 
Princess  Park,  Liverpool 

CHAPTER  III 

City  of  Funchal,  Madeira 
Landing  Place  at  Funchal 
Madeira  Carriage 
A  Street  in  Funchal,  Madeira 

CHAPTER  IV 

Funchal  from  the  Mountain  Side 
Las  Palinas,  Grand  Canary 
Date  Palm,  Grand  Canary 

CHAPTER  V 

Lou  Rock,  Madeira 
Native  Women,  Gold  Coast 
Lady  of  High  Rank,  Old  Calabar 


CHAPTER  VI 

Regent  Street,  Sierra  Leone 
Native  Village  near  Axim 
Mission  House,  Axim 

CHAPTER  VII 

Elmina,  Gold  Coast 
Cemetery  at  Elmina 
Cape  Coast  Castle,  Gold  Coast 
Accra,  Gold  Coast 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Canoe  on  the  Bonny  River 

Trading  Hulk,  Bonny 

"My  Name  he  be  Pea  Soup  " 

CHAPTER  IX 

Foreign  Settlement,  Old  Calabar 
Interior  of  Palm  Oil  Factory 
Native  Town,  Old  Calabar  River 
Mission  House,  Old  Calabar 

CHAPTER  X 

Government  House,  Kamerun 

A  bit  of  Kamerun  Beach,  Low  Tide 

A  bit  of  Kamerun  Beach,  High  Tide 

The  Nubia  at  anchor  in  the  Kamerun  River 

CHAPTER  XI 

Eloby,  Corisco  Bay 

Baraka  Mission  Station,  Gaboon 

Mrs.  Joseph  H.  Reading 

CHAPTER  XII 

Little  Lizzie 
Miss  Susie  Dewsnap 
Road-making  in  Gaboon 
Mr.  Reading's  Little  Carriage 


CHAPTER  XIII 

"Good  Old  Uncle"  Adande 
Mpongwe  Women,  Gaboon 
Catholic  Mission,  Gaboon 
African  Paper  Money 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Gaboon  River  Village 
An  African  Belle 
An  African  King 

CHAPTER  XV 

French  Trading  Factory,  Gaboon 
Gardener's  House,  Gaboon 
Palm  Oil  ready  for  shipment 
Native  Women,  Accra 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Church  and  School-house,  Corisco 
Mbade  Station,  Benita  River 
Mr.  DeHeer's  Church,  Bolondo 
Scene  on  the  Benita  River 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Rev.  B.  B.  Brier 
Mrs.  B.  B.  Brier 
Waterfall  at  Batanga 
Native  Trader,  Old  Calabar 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

Church  built  by  Mr.  Reading 
Interior  of  new  Church,  Gaboon 
Scotch  Mission  Church,  Old  Calaba 


The  Ogowe  Band. 


CHAPTKR  I. 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL. 


'HERE  was  bustle  and  excitement  on  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  pier  at  the  foot  of 
Catharine  street,  Philadelphia.  Quite  a 
crowd  had  gathered ;  some  in  groups  with 
serious  faces,  others  rushing  around  looking- 
for  stray  pieces  of  baggage,  while  carriages  constantly 
arriving  brought  their  occupants  to  swell  the  throng. 

Just  outside  the  shed  was  the  four-masted  Atlantic- 
liner  "  Lord  Gough,"  the  smoke  curling  upward  from 
her  great  funnel  and  the  steam  blowing  off  as  if  to  say 
"  I  am  ready  for  a  struggle  with  the  storms."  Mountains 
of  luggage,  and  drays  laden  with  sacks  of  mail,  drove  up 
to  the  forward  gang-plank  and  were  soon  transferred  to  the 
steamer. 

Near  the  outer  end  of  the  shed,  in  the  midst  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends,  were  the  Ogowe  Mission  Band,  the 
subjects  of  this  story.  They  were  a  lively  set  of  young 
people,  six  young  masters  and  six  misses ;  and  they  hardly 
knew  whether  to  laugh  or  cry,  as  they  looked  out  at  the 
great  steamer  with  all  the  strange  adventures  before  them, 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

and  then  at  the  dear  ones  gathered  to  say  "good-bye," 
whom  they  could  hardly  hope  to  see  for  a  year  at  least. 

Just  then  a  tall,  middle-aged,  kindly-faced  gentleman 
alighted  from  a  carriage,  and  walked  quickly  tip  the  pier. 
This  was  Judge  McGee,  the  gentleman  who  was  to  take 
charge  of  the  gay  little  voyagers  and  guide  them  through 
the  strange  lands  beyond  the  sea.  •  He  was  warmly  greeted 
by  Miss  Lanra  B.  Cadmus,  the  leader  of  the  band,  and 
introduced  to  the  fathers,  mothers  and  other  friends  ;  he 
needed  no  introduction  to  the  little  travelers  themselves, 
for  he  had  several  times  addressed  the  band,  and  they  both 
knew  and  loved  him. 

Kathleen,  Miss  Cadmus'  maid,  looked  at  the  Judge 
askance,  and  exclaimed  :  "  Sure  and  is  this  the  gintleman 
that  is  after  taking  the  darlints  to  Afriky?" 

On  being  assured  it  was,  she  expressed  the  hope  that 
the  white  bears  and  gorillas  would  not  carry  the  dear 
children  away,  nor  the  Pagans  roast  them  and  serve  them 
up  for  supper.  The  fog-horn  of  the  steamer  now  blew  a 
blast  and  an  officer  called  in  a  loud  voice  :  "  All  ashore 
who  are  not  going." 

"Come,"  said  the  Judge,  "  it  is  time  for  us  to  go  on 
board." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  whistle  sounded  again,  the  gang- 
plank was  drawn  ashore,  the  lines  were  loosened,  and  the 
great  ship  turned  slowly  away  from  the  pier. 

The  warm-hearted  Kathleen  was  much  affected  ;  she 
wiped  her  eyes  with  a  corner  of  her  shawl  and  flung  an  old 
shoe  after  the  "darlints."  "Sure,"  said  she,  "and  I  hope 
the  horrid  haythens  won't  eat  them  for  supper  at  all,  at  all." 

A  large  tug  now  made  fast  to  the  stern  of  the  steamer, 
and  two  more  to  the  bow.  They  pulled  and  puffed  with 
all  their  might,  and  presently  the  great  ship  was  fairly  out 


VOVAC.K  TO  LIVERPOOL 

111  the  channel  with  her  bow  pointing  down  stream  ;  the 
engines  began  to  turn  slowly,  the  tugs  cast  off  their  lines, 
the  small  cannon  on  the  forecastle  fired  a  salute,  and  the 
momentous  voyage  was  begun. 

Our  little  travelers  stood  on  the  promenade  deck, 
which  011  the  Lord  Gough  was  in  the  middle  of  the  ship, 
and  waved  their  handkerchiefs  at  the  dear  ones  on  the 
pier  until  a  turn  in  the  river  hid  them  from  sight.  Wav- 
ing was  not  the  only  use  to  which  their  handkerchiefs 
were  put ;  but  after  all,  a  good  cry  does  one  good,  as  the 
Ogowe  Band  found  to  be  true  in  their  case. 

Judge  McGee  left  them  to  their  tears  a  little  while, 
and  then,  after  a  few  words  of  comfort,  called  their  atten- 
tion to  the  scenes  about  them,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
they  had  recovered  their  usual  spirits. 

It  was  a  glorious  September  day,  and  as  the  start  had 
been  an  early  one  in  order  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  tide, 
it  was  now  not  more  than  nine  o'clock.  They  were  just 
passing  Chester  where  vessels  in  various  stages  of  con- 
struction were  seen  near  the  river  bank.  By  and  by  the 
river  began  to  widen,  and  by  noon  they  were  abreast  of 
the  Delaware  Breakwater.  Here  the  steamer  came  to  a 
standstill,  a  small  boat  came  along-side  and  the  pilot 
climbed  over  the  side  and  down  into  it,  the  gangway  pas- 
sage was  closed,  the  engines  began  to  throb,  the  Lord 
Gough  turned  her  prow  to  the  eastward,  and  the  sandy 
shores  of  Delaware  and  New  Jersey  gradually  sank  be- 
neath the  water. 

The  bell  now  rang  for  one  o'clock  lunch  and  the 
Ogowe  Band  lost  no  time  in  finding  their  way  to  the  din- 
ing-room. 

There  were  but  few  other  passengers  and  there  was 
abundant  room  and  plenty  of  food  for  everybody.  The 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

Captain  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table  and  the  purser  at  the 
foot,  while  the  passengers  occupied  those  places  that  had 
been  reserved  for  them  by  the  steward.  The  Judge  and 
his  young  companions  were  seated  next  to  the  Captain, 
whom  they  found  to  be  as  jolly  and  good-natured  as  a 
captain  could  well  be. 

After  lunch,  at  the  Captain's  suggestion,  the  little 
travelers  arranged  their  state  rooms ;  opening  their  port- 
manteaus and  placing  those  articles  they  were  likely  to 
use  where  they  would  be  handy.  When  this  was  done 
they  took  light  wraps  and  soft  caps  and  went  up  on  deck. 
Here  comfortable  chairs  had  been  placed  in  a  cosy  spot 
sheltered  from  the  wind,  and  they  sat  down  to  spend  the 
afternoon.  Overhead  was  the  immense  blue  dome  of  the 
sky  filled  with  ten  thousand  joyous,  fleecy  clouds ;  beneath 
and  around  were  the  waters  of  the  ocean ;  the  sun  shone 
brightly,  and  the  fresh  clear  air  was  delightful. 

Very  soon  the  Captain  joined  them,  and  the  little 
folks  fired  questions  at  him  almost  faster  than  he  could 
answer  them.  He  told  them  that  usually  the  water  for  a 
hundred  miles  or  so  from  shore  was  not  rough  enough  to 
affect  a  large  steamer  like  the  Lord  Gough,  "for,"  said 
he,  "the  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  west  and  they  do 
not  stir  the  water  to  its  depths  much  short  of  a  hundred 
miles  out."  This  explained  why  the  steamer  was  as 
steady  as  it  had  been  in  the  river. 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  life  on  ship- 
board. "Life  on  a  steamship  at  sea,"  said  the  Captain, 
"  has  many  peculiarities.  The  ship  is  a  world  in  itself, 
and  the  bounds  are  narrow.  You  see  the  same  faces  day 
after  day,  and  on  a  great  ocean  like  the  Atlantic  there  is 
little  to  attract  the  attention  outside  of  the  vessel  that  car- 
ries you." 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

"Yes,"  said  the  Judge,  "one  falls  into  a  monotonous 
way  of  life,  and  the  days  run  on  one  after  another,  till  you 
find  it  difficult  to  distinguish  them." 

"  I  have  heard,  Captain,"  said  Willie  Richman,  "  that 
sailors  are  very  superstitious,  is  that  so?" 

"Yes,"  said  Captain  Hughes,  "they  are  a  queer  lot. 
I  remember  some  years  ago  I  commanded  a  large  sailing 
ship  in  the  California  trade.  We  were  about  three  weeks 
out  from  Liverpool  when  the  mate  reported  that  one  of  the 
men  was  sick.  I  went  to  see  him  and  found  the  poor  fel- 
low was  likely  to  die.  I  knew  little  about  diseases  or  how 
to  cure  them,  but  the  sailors  were  watching  to  see  what  the 
*  old  man '  would  do,  and  I  saw  that,  to  save  my  reputa- 
tion, I  must  do  my  best.  So  I  opened  the  medicine  chest 
and  took  out  all  the  bottles.  These  I  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  dry  medicines  and  the  liquid  ones.  I  then  took 
some  of  each  of  the  dry  medicines  and  mixed  them  all 
together,  and  from  this  mixture  I  made  some  powders. 
In  like  manner  I  poured  out  into  a  bottle  some  of  each 
of  the  liquid  medicines  and  when  I  had  well  shaken  the 
bottle,  to  thoroughly  mix  the  ingredients,  I  ordered  a  tea- 
spoonful  given  the  sick  man  every  two  hours,  and  at  the 
alternate  hours  one  of  the  powders. 

"  I  reasoned  in  this  way :  in  that  lot  of  medicine  there 
must  be  something  suited  to  this  case  and  although  I  do 
not  know  which  one  it  is,  in  this  way  he  will  surely  get 
it.  My  logic  must  have  been  correct,  for  the  man  got 
well.  After  that  whenever  a  man  was  sick  he  would  take 
nothing  but  the  drops  and  powders,  and  I  never  lost  a  pa- 
tient, which  is  more  than  any  doctor  can  say." 

The  conversation  flowed  on  in  a  steady  stream  and 
the  afternoon  passed  almost  before  they  knew  it.  At 
half-past  five  the  steward  rang  a  bell  which  the  Captain 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

told  them  was  a  signal  to  get  ready  for  dinner,  so  they 
picked  up  their  wraps  and  went  to  their  rooms  to  arrange 
their  toilets. 

On  all  English  steamers  a  cup  of  coffee  or  tea,  with 
a  little  toast,  is  brought  to  your  room  at  six  in  the  morn- 
ing. At  half-past  eight  there  is  breakfast  in  the  saloon, 
which  most  American  travelers  think  is  the  best  meal  of 
the  day;  partly,  perhaps,  because  the  cooking  for  that 
meal  is  more  like  the  American  style.  Lunch  comes  at 
one  P.  M..,  and  dinner  at  six,  while  tea — toast  and  jam — is 
served  at  nine  o'clock  to  those  who  call  for  it. 

Dinner  is  the  great  meal  of  the  day ;  there  are  sev- 
eral courses  and  every  person  who  has  a  right  to  eat  in 
the  saloon  is  expected  to  be  present  and  to  be  dressed  in 
their  best.  Not  all  who  are  on  board  can  eat  in  the  sa- 
loon ;  this  privilege  is  exclusively  reserved  for  the  officers 
of  the  ship  and  the  saloon  passengers.  The  sailors  eat  in 
the  forecastle ;  the  engineers  in  a  mess  room  of  their  own, 
and  the  stewards  in  the  pantry. 

There  is  a  feeling  on  board  ship  that  the  stewards 
live  on  the  best  the  ship  affords.  An  old  captain  once  said, 
"Whenever  I  want  something  specially  good,  I  tell  my 
boys  to  hang  around  and  watch  to  see  what  the  stewards 
are  going  to  have,  and  then  bring  me  some."  Whether 
or  no  this  might  be  true,  our  little  travelers  could  not  tell, 
but  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  stewards  were  a 
good-natured,  hard-working  set  of  people  who  never  ap- 
peared to  have  time  to  sleep  or  rest,  and  they  were  sorry 
to  notice  that  sometimes  passengers  spoke  roughly  to- 
them. 

The  next  morning  the  Ogowe  Band  were  on  deck  in 
good  season,  and  a  lovely  morning  it  was.  The  sun  was 
about  an  hour  high,  and  its  bright  rays  were  beginning  to- 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

warm  the  cool,  fresh  air.  They  romped  about  the  deck  and 
had  a  real  jolly  time.  The  Judge  took  a  hand  in  the  fun 
and  for  the  time  was  apparently  as  young-  as  any  of  them. 

Suddenly  Robbie  Campbell  cried  out,  "O,  look  at 
that ! "  Everybody  turned  their  eyes  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated and  saw  at  some  distance  from  the  ship  a  small  col- 
umn of  water  rise  to  the  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet. 

"Why,"  said  Lulu  Wright,  "it  looks  just  like  pict- 
ures I  have  seen  of  whales." 

"Yes,"  said  Captain  Hughes,  who  at  that  moment 
joined  the  party,  "it  is  a  whale."  As  he  spoke  the  whale 
raised  himself  partly  out  of  the  wrater,  gave  his  tail  a  flirt, 
and  disappeared  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean. 

Frank  Harris  asked  why  it  was  that  the  whale 
spouted  up  this  column  of  water. 

Captain  Hughes  explained,  "The  whale  is  not  a  fish, 
but  a  warm-blooded  animal  like  a  cow  or  horse,  and  must 
breathe  the  air  just  as  we  do.  He  takes  a  certain  amount 
of  water  into  his  lungs  along  with  the  air,  and  when  he 
throws  it  out  it  makes  the  spray  you  have  seen,  which 
sailors  call  a  spout." 

After  breakfast  whaling  stories  were  in  order.  Grace 
Thompson  asked  if  this  was  the  kind  of  whale  that  swal- 
lowed Jonah. 

The  Judge  told  them  that  so  far  as  known  there  were 
no  whales  in  the  Mediterranean ;  that  the  word  in  the 
original,  translated  "whale,"  means  a  "sea  monster,"  and 
that  no  one  knew  certainly  just  what  kind  of  a  sea-mon- 
ster it  was  that  swallowed  the  prophet. 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  Jessie  Williams,  "  I  don't  under- 
stand it  anyway.  How  did  Jonah  get  his  breath  for  those 
three  days  and  nights ;  a  whale  don't  breathe  into  his 
stomach?" 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

The  Judge  replied  that  it  was  easy  to  ask  questions 
that  no  one  could  answer.  "  This  event,"  said  he,  "  was 
a  miracle,  and  cannot  be  explained  by  the  operation  of 
natural  law." 

"  What  is  a  miracle  ?  "  asked  Hattie  Clark. 

"  A  miracle,"  replied  the  Judge,  "  is  a  wonderful  effect, 
superior  or  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature,  and  performed 
alone  by  the  power  of  God." 

He  then  went  on  to  explain  to  them  that  God 
works  in  a  uniform  manner  to  produce  the  events  he 
designs  shall  come  to  pass,  and  these  uniform  modes  of 
the  divine  operation  are  called  "natural  laws,"  or  the 
"laws  of  nature;"  that  sometimes,  in  order  to  attract 
the  special  attention  of  his  creatures  to  some  revelation  , 
he  is  about  to  make,  he  departs  from  his  usual  mode  and 
produces  an  effect  in  some  other  way.  This  is  called  a 
miracle.  It  is  no  more  wonderful  than  the  events  which 
occur  every  day  about  us,  but  it  is  unusual,  and  so  causes 
remark. 

In  the  afternoon  the  wind  freshened,  and  the  rolling- 
motion  of  the  ship  was  not  altogether  agreeable  to  the 
inexperienced  voyagers.  They  were  about  to  have  a  little 
taste  of  sea  sickness,  and  from  the  appearance  of  their  faces 
it  was  evident  that  it  did  not  taste  good.  They  lay  about 
the  deck  in  warm  places  where  they  were  sheltered  from  the 
wind,  and  neither  cared  to  talk  or  be  talked  to.  But  their 
malady  did  not  last  long,  and  by  the  next  morning  they 
were  as  merry  as  ever. 

They  asked  the  Judge  to  explain  the  cause  of  their 
trouble,  but  he  shook  his  head  and  said  it  was  a  great 
puzzle.  "  The  more  I  study  it,  said  he,  "  the  less  I  seem 
to  understand  it.  As  nearly  as  I  can  tell,  it  is  a  disease  of 
the  brain  ;  or,  to  be  more  correct,  a  disturbance  of  the 

8 


VOYAOK  TO  LIVERPOOL 

cerebral  action,  brought  about  by  an  unusual  motion  of 
the  body." 

"  Is  there  no  cure  for  it?"  asked  Grant  Hillman. 

"None  that  I  know  of,"  replied  the  Judge,  "except 
to  keep  away  from  the  water." 

"  To  lessen  its  effects  two  opposite  lines  of  treatment 
liave  been  suggested  ;  one  to  stimulate  the  brain,  and  the 
other  to  depress  its  action.  As  the  brain  is  a  very  delicate 
•organ,  both  these  plans  are  dangerous.  It  is  best  to  lie 
•quiet  and  take  nothing  unless  the  attack  is  very  severe, 
and  then  call  a  physician." 

The  ship's  Doctor  confirmed  the  Judge's  opinion,  and 
stated  that  he  gave  but  little  medicine  in  cases  of  sea- 
sickness, and  what  little  he  gave  was  of  a  mild  character. 

Ten  days  after  leaving  Philadelphia  some  dark  specks 
appeared  on  the  Eastern  horizon.  They  grew  larger  and 
larger  until  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  they  were  great  brown 
rocks.  The  young  voyagers  were  much  excited  at  behold- 
ing the  first  land  of  the  Old  World.  Captain  Hughes 
•explained  that  the  rock  on  the  extreme  right  was  Fastnet, 
and  the  others  Cape  Clear  and  the  headlands  about  Bantry 
Bay.  The  band  gave  three  cheers  for  Ireland,  and  could 
scarcely  be  prevailed  upon  to  go  into  the  saloon  for 
breakfast. 

About  eleven  o'clock  the  Lord  Gough  passed  between 
Fastnet  Rock  and  the  main-land,  and  from  that  time  the 
-coast  of  Ireland  was  in  full  view  throughout  the  day. 
Having  heard  so  much  of  the  "  Emerald  Isle,"  they 
expected  to  see  it  "  as  green  as  grass,"  as  Jessie  Williams 
•expressed  it.  What  they  did  see  was  great  brown,  rocky 
headlands,  with  little  bays  between  them.  The  ground 
was  high  and  appeared  barren.  The  surf  beat  upon  the 
teach,  and  especially  upon  the  rocky  cliffs,  with  great 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

force,  sending  the  spray  high  up  in  the  air.  The  Captain 
called  it  an  iron-bound  coast,  and  said  that  many  a  gallant 
ship  had  been  driven  ashore  and  broken  upon  these  rocks. 
Now  and  then  a  few  stone  buildings  or  a  lighthouse  were 
seen,  and  at  Crook  Haven  signals  were  hoisted  on  the  fore- 
mast and  mainmast  to  let  the  people  on  shore  know  that 
the  Lord  Gough  was  passing  and  would  call  that  evening; 
at  Queenstown.  The  news  would  then  be  sent  ahead  by 
telegraph  and  a  tender  would  be  in  waiting  when  they 
arrived  off  the  entrance  to  Cork  Harbor. 

At  four  o'clock  they  passed  the  Old  Head  of  Kinsale, 
one  of  the  sternest  and  most  picturesque  headlands  on  the 
coast,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the  engines  stopped  their 
throbbing  and  the  vessel  came  to  a  standstill  opposite  the 
narrow  entrance  to  Cork  Harbor.  Our  young  tourists- 
were  deeply  interested  in  all  they  saw,  and  their  tongues- 
rattled  away  at  a  lively  rate.  Lighthouses  crowned  the 
hills  on  either  side  the  entrance  ;  just  beyond  them,  where 
the  ground  was  higher,  were  forts,  while  at  the  farther  end  of 
the  bay,  Queenstown  could  be  plainly  seen  nestled  closely 
by  the  water-side. 

An  open-deck,  paddle-wheel  steamer  came  cautiously 
alongside  the  Lord  Gough  and  was  made  fast  with  ropes. 
A  wide  gangway  was  run  across  to  the  steamer's  deck,  and 
some  of  the  passengers  and  all  the  mails  were  transferred 
to  the  tender,  as  the  paddle-wheel  steamer  was  called. 

" Why  are  the  mails  put  off  here?"  inquired  Lulu. 
Wright,  "  I  thought  they  were  for  England." 

"  So  they  are,"  replied  the  Judge,  "  they  will  be  in 
London  by  the  time  we  get  to  Liverpool." 

"  How  is  that?"  exclaimed  several  voices  at  once. 

The  Judge  explained  that  railway  trains  could  go 
much  faster  than  steamers.  "  A  fast  train,"  said  he,  "  isi. 


VOVAGK  TO  LIVERPOOL 

waiting  for  these  mails  there  at  Queenstown.  It  will  take 
them  on  to  Kingston,  where  a  boat  that  makes  twenty-one 
miles  an  hour  will  take  them  over  to  Holyhead  in  Wales  ; 
from  Holyhead  they  will  go  to  London  on  the  "  Wild 
Irishman,"  a  train  that  runs  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a 
minute. 

The  thought  of  such  speed  fairly  took  the  young 
people's  breath  away,  and  they  were  quite .  content  to  go 
by  a  slower  route. 

The  men  who  carried  the  mail  sacks  worked  with  a 
with  a  will,  and  in  half  an  hour  they  were  transferred  to 
the  tender.  The  lines  that  held  her  to  the  Lord  Gough 
were  cast  off,  and  she  turned  away  towards  Queenstown, 
while  the  Atlantic-liner  moved  on  her  way  up  the  Channel. 

Our  young  voyagers  were  thoroughly  stirred  by  all 
they  had  seen,  and  the  conversation  during  the  evening 
was  both  animated  and  prolonged.  About  ten  o'clock 
they  went  out  on  deck  for  a  few  minutes.  They  were  not 
often  allowed  to  sit  up  so  late,  for  their  kind  friend,  the 
Judge,  believed  in  early  hours  for  both  young  people  and 
old ;  but  this  wras  no  ordinary  occasion,  and  the  usual  rule 
was  suspended. 

The  stars  were  shining  brightly  overhead,  and  the 
light  on  Tuskar  Rock  could  plainly  be  seen  on  the  port 
bow.  Captain  Hughes  told  them  that  when  they  reached 
that  light  they  would  cross  the  Channel  over  to  the  Welsh 
coast  and  they  would  see  no  more  of  Ireland.  He  also 
told  them  that  he  would  be  up  all  night,  for  when  they 
were  near  land  it  was  the  Captain's  duty  to  be  always  on 
the  bridge. 

The  Ogowe  Band  slept  little  that  night,  at  least  so 
they  thought,  but  it  is  probable  their  dreams  and  waking 
thoughts  were  so  mingled  in  their  consciousness  they  did 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

not  distinguish  clearly  between  them.  At  any  rate 
they  were  up  early  and  the  first  thing  they  saw  on 
looking  out  of  their  port-holes  was  land.  This  time, 
however,  it  was  on  the  right,  or  starboard  side  of  the 
ship,  and  not  on  the  port  side  as  it  had  been  yesterday. 
The  chief  steward  told  them  that  was  just  the  difference 
between  the  English  and  the  Irish ;  the  Irish  always  got 
"left."  "At  any  rate,"  said  he,  "most  of  them  have  left 
Ireland,  for  there  are  more  Irish  in  England  and  America 
than  in  Ireland,  and  more  Irish  in.  London  than  in 
Dublin." 

When  the  bright  little  voyagers  reached  the  deck  they 
found  the  steamer  was  just  passing  Holyhead  and  they  were 
surprised  to  see  what  a  rocky  place  it  was.  The  shores  of 
the  Old  World,  so  far  as  they  had  yet  seen  them,  were  quite 
in  contrast  with  the  low  sandy  coasts  of  Long  Island  and 
New  Jersey.  Many  vessels  were  in  sight  both  going  up 
and  down  the  Channel.  It  surprised  them  that  sailing 
ships  could  go  in  opposite  directions  at  the  same  time. 

"I  thought,"  said  Willie  Richman,  "that  a  ship 
could  only  sail  the  same  way  the  wind  blows." 

Judge  McGee  tried  to  explain  to  them  how  it  was, 
but  they  did  not  come  to  a  very  clear  understanding  of  it. 
That  it  could  be  done  was  evident,  and  so  far  as  the  young 
people  could  see,  the  sailing  vessels  got  along  as  well  as 
the  steamers,  only  not  so  rapidly. 

Large  numbers  of  sea-gulls  flew  about  the  steamer, 
often  so  near  as  to  be  almost  within  reach.  Whenever 
refuse  was  thrown  from  the  ship,  they  settled  down  iipon 
the  water  seeking  for  such  scraps  of  food  as  they  might 
find,  and  in  this  way  got  their  breakfast. 

They  arrived  at  the  bar  off  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey 
at  lunch  time,  and  were  obliged  to  anchor.  Captain 


12 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL, 

Hughes  explained  to  them  that  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide 
here  was  from  twenty-three  to  twenty-seven  feet,  and  that 
large  steamers  could  not  go  in  and  out  of  the  river  at  low 
tide.  "  The  tide,"  said  he,  "  is  rising  now,  and  we  will  not 
have  to  wait  very  long."  Sure  enough,  by  three  o'clock 
the  anchor  was  up  and  they  were  steaming  slowly  into 
the  greatest  sea-port  of  the  world. 

As  they  drew  near  the  city  the  sight  that  greeted 
their  eyes  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  river  was 
full  of  steamers  and  vessels  of  all  kinds,  and  on  both 
sides,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  a  forest  of  masts 
shut  in  by  the  lofty  walls  of  the  docks. 

Presently  a  tender,  like  the  one  they  had  seen  at 
Oueenstown,  came  alongside  and  the  health  and  customs 
officials  scrambled  on  board.  It  was  not  long  before  a 
gang-plank  was  run  out  and  the  trunks  and  other  baggage 
carried  to  the  tender;  then  our  friends  said  "good-bye  "to 
Captain  Hughes  and  his  kind  officers,  and  with  sincere 
regret  they  left  their  floating  home  that  had  borne  them 
safely  over  the  broad  Atlantic,  and  turned  their  faces 
toward  the  city  in  which  they  were  to  spend  the  next  few 
days. 

While  at  anchor  outside  of  the  bar,  Captain  Hughes 
had  told  them  that  vessels  could  only  go  in  and  out  of 
dock  at  the  very  top  of  high  water,  and  that  the  gates 
were  open  only  about  an  hour  every  day  and  every  night. 
The  great  Atlantic-liners  go  into  dock  near  the  North  End, 
some  three  or  four  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  city.  The 
officers  must  stay  with  their  ship  until  she  has  made  fast 
to  the  pier.  Sometimes  the  captain  leaves  the  vessel  in 
charge  of  the  mate,  and  goes  ashore  with  the  passengers ; 
in  this  instance  Captain  Hughes  preferred  to  remain  on 
board. 


VOYAGE  TO  LIVERPOOL 

A  run  of  a  few  minutes  brought  the  tender  to  the 
Prince's  Landing  Stage,  an  immense  floating  structure 
anchored  close  to  the  outer  wall  of  one  of  the  docks,  and 
connected  with  this  wall  by  four  covered  bridges.  This 
stage  rises  and  falls  with  the  tide,  so  that  the  bridges  are 
sometimes  level  and  sometimes  steeply  inclined,  accord- 
ing as  the  tide  is  high  or  low.  Upon  the  stage  are  waiting- 
rooms,  a  restaurant,  and  houses  where  baggage  is  exam- 
ined by  the  customs  officers.  This  examination  is  not  a 
very  rigid  one,  and  if  travelers  will  only  keep  their 
tempers  and  be  good-natured  they  will  have  no  trouble. 
As  the  Judge  was  always  good-natured  he  was  soon 
through,  and  the  sturdy  porters  carried  everything  up  to 
the  pier-head  where  a  cart  was  engaged  to  take  it  to  the 
hotel. 

There  are  no  baggage  express  companies  in  the  Old 
Wcrld,  and  the  care  of  one's  "impedimenta"  is  greater 
than  it  is  in  America.  Cabs  were  standing  in  a  line  wait- 
ing for  customers ;  three  of  these  were  engaged  and  they 
were  soon  rattling  up  Water  and  Dale  streets  to  the  North- 
western Hotel,  where  they  were  to  make  their  home  while 
in  Liverpool. 


CHAPTER  II. 


LIVERPOOL 


¥HE    cabs    drew   up   iu    front    of  the   main 
entrance  of  the  hotel,  and  a  porter  in  livery 
came  out  to  assist  them  in  alighting  and  to 
carry   in    their   wraps.     The   Ogowe    Band 
knew  little  of  hotel  life,  so  that  all  they  saw 
"was  a  new  experience  to  them.     Judge  McGee  stepped  to 
the  office  to  register  their  names,  while  the  young  people 
warmed  themselves  at  the  open  grate  in  the  rotunda  and 
gazed  about  them. 

The  elevator  could  not  accommodate  so  large  a  party, 
so  the  Judge  and  the  young  ladies  went  in  it,  while  the 
boys  and  two  of  the  porters  climbed  the  broad  staircase. 
The  party  took  rooms  on  the  third  floor.  This  they  found 
was  not  the  third  floor  from  the  ground,  but  the  third 
floor  above  the  ground.  The  ground  floor  is  not  counted, 
as  with  us.  The  rooms  they  occupied  have  curved-top 
windows,  as  seen  in  the  picture. 

After  bathing  their  hands  and  faces  and  arranging 
their  toilets,  they  came  down  to  supper,  or  as  the  English 
call  it,  "  tea."  With  the  English,  "  supper  "  is  a  meal 

15 


LIVERPOOL 

taken  late  in  the  night,  as  for  instance,  after  the  close  of 
the  theatre  or  opera. 

The  dining-room  is  on  the  ground  floor,  on  the  right 
of  the  illustration,  and  the  cart  that  brought  our  young 
travelers'  baggage  is  seen  near  the  front  entrance  of  the 
hotel.  It  has  four  wheels,  and  with  us  would  be  called  a 
"  truck." 

After  tea,  the  young  folks  wanted  to  go  out  on  the 
streets  and  see  some  of  the  sights  of  the  town,  but  Judge 
McGee  would  not.  consent.  He  thought  they  had  seen, 
enough  for  one  day,  and  advised  a  quiet  evening  and  a 
good  night's  rest.  So  they  adjourned  to  the  drawing- 
room,  seen  on  the  left  in  the  illustration — and  gathered  in. 
a  cozy  group  by  the  front  windows. 

Before  them  was  Great  George's  Hall,  an  imposing- 
pile  of  architecture,  in  which  the  city  courts  are  held  ; 
there  is  also  a  large  organ  and  a  concert  room.  In  the 
paved  court  in  front  were  equestrian  statues  of  Queen 
Victoria,  and  her  husband,  Prince  Albert.  Two  stone 
lions  guarded  the  entrance.  As  all  the  places  of  amuse- 
ment are  near  the  hotel,  the  street  was  full  of  people. 
Grant  Hillman  said  he  could  not  see  that  the  people 
looked  like  foreigners  ;  he  thought  they  looked  more  like 
Americans  than  the  people  one  sometimes  sees  in  our  own 
cities. 

"Well,"  said  Frank  Harris,  "so  they  ought,  for 
Americans  are  English,  while  our  cities  are  full  of  emi- 
grants from  all  parts  of  the  earth." 

"  O  ! "  exclaimed  Johnny  Ashton,  "  look  at  that  street 
car,  it's  a  double-decker ! " 

Sure  enough  it  was.  A  circular  stairway  led  from 
the  rear  platform  to  the  top,  where  two  seats  were  arranged 
lengthwise  in  the  middle.  The  passengers  sat  back  to- 

16 


LIVERPOOL 

back  facing  the  walk  on  either  side  of  the  street.  Grace 
Thompson  thought  it  would  be  splendid  to  ride  that  way, 
and  the  Judge  promised  them  that  they  should  on  the 
morrow,  if  the  weather  was  fair. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  this  may  be  a  good  time  to  learn 
that  English  people  call  many  things  by  different  names 
from  what  we  do." 

"  Yes,"  said  Robbie  Campbell,  "  I  noticed  on  the 
landing  stage  the  porters  said  '  luggage '  instead  of 
baggage." 

"Do  they  call  a  passenger  elevator  a  'lift?'"  asked 
Mamie  Belville. 

"Yes,"  replied  Judge  McGee,  "  and  a  street  car  here 
is  called  a  '  tram,'  while  the  track  it  runs  on  is  a  tramway."' 
"  Hereafter,  while  abroad,  we  will  adopt  English  terms  so 
we  may  be  understood." 

"  Did  you  notice,"  said  Frank  Harris,  "  that  the 
clerks  in  the  hotel  office  were  ladies?" 

"  Yes,"  added  the  Judge,  "  and  the  manager  is  a 
woman  ;  you  might  almost  be  sure  of  it  by  the  neatness 
and  order  in  everything  about  the  house." 

"  And  the  quietness  too,"  said  Jessie  Williams. 

"  I  thought,"  said  Willie  Richman,  "  that  the  man 
who  met  us  when  we  first  came  in  was  the  owner  ;  he  was 
dressed  so  fine  and  had  such  a  grand  air,  just  as  I  would 
expect  a  man  to  have  who  owned  and  lived  in  a  grand 
building  like  this." 

Judge  McGee  smiled.  " That  man,"  he  replied,  "was 
the  head  porter,  but  I  do  not  wonder  you  thought  him  a 
great  man  ;  he  is,  in  his  way,  and  as  things  go  in  this 
country,  he  is  both  useful  and  necessary."  He  then  went 
on  to  explain  to  the  Band  that  this  hotel  belonged  to  the 
London  &  Northwestern  Railway,  a  great  corporation  like 

ii  17 


LIVERPOOL 

our  own  Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  and  that  the  railway  station 
for  London  and  all  parts  of  England  and  Scotland  was 
back  of  the  hotel.  Indeed,  the  hotel  might  be  called  the 
front  of  the  station. 

"Can  we  go  and  see  the  station?"  asked  Johnny 
Ashton. 

"  I  should  like  so  much  to  see  it,"  exclaimed  Lulu 
Wright. 

This  desire  was  echoed  by  the  entire  Band,  so  the 
good-natured  Judge  took  them  out  to  the  platform  where 
trains  were  awaiting  the  time  to  start  for  London,  Man- 
chester, Edinburgh  and  other  places. 

The  young  people  were  not  long  in  finding  out  the 
difference  between  an  English  and  American  railway  sta- 
tion. They  found  the  cars  divided  into  three  compart- 
ments, with  the  doors  in  the  sides  of  the  cars.  Each 
compartment  had  two  seats  as  in  a  street-car  at  home,  and 
on  the  outside  it  said,  "First  class,"  "Second  class"  and 
"  Third  class." 

The  Judge  told  them  they  were  now  in  a  land  of  class 
distinctions,  and  this  classification  extended  even  to  rail- 
way carriages ;  "for,"  said  he,  "these  are  not  'cars'  but 
'carriages.'  The  engine  is  called  a  'horse,'  the  engineer 
a  'driver,'  the  fireman  a  'stoker,'  and  the  conductor  a 
'  guard. '  These  names  have  come  down  from  the  old  stage- 
coach days  and  are  now  applied  to  railroading." 

The  boys  noticed  there  was  no  cab  to  the  engine,  so 
that  both  driver  and  stoker  stood  right  out  doors  in  the 
sun  and  rain.  After  looking  around  awhile  they  returned 
to  the  drawing-room,  and  after  the  Judge  had  called  a 
waiter  and  given  orders  for  breakfast,  they  went  up  stairs 
to  their  rooms,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were  in  the 
land  of  dreams. 

18 


LIVERPOOL 

The  next  morning  the  Ogowe  Band  were  not  long 
in  making  a  discovery,  viz :  that  the  English  people  did 
not  get  up  very  early  in  the  morning.  Here  on  this 
bright  September  day  no  one  scarcely  was  to  be  seen  in 
the  street  at  eight  o'clock,  and  the  few  persons  to  be  seen 
about  the  hotel  appeared  to  be  half  asleep.  The  eager- 
ness of  our  young  friends  to  see  the  city,  doubtless  made 
them  a  little  impatient,  and  yet  it  is  true  that  the  English 
are  not  very  early  risers. 

Breakfast  had  been  ordered  for  half-past  eight  While 
they  were  eating,  Judge  McGee  told  them  he  had  letters 
of  introduction  to  Messrs.  Alexander  &  Christie,  at  64 
South  Castle  street,  and  proposed  they  should  walk  there 
after  breakfast;  "for,"  said  he,  "it  is  not  much  over  half 
a  mile,  and  this  is  just  the  kind  of  morning  for  walking." 

At  half-past  nine  they  sallied  forth,  and  a  merry  party 
they  were.  They  went  down  Lime  street,  and  turning  to 
the  right  found  themselves  in  front  of  St.  John's  Market, 
the  principal  market-house  in  Liverpool.  Most  of  the 
girls  had  gone  marketing  with  their  mothers  in  Philadel- 
phia and  they  were  curious  to  know  what  an  English 
market  was  like,  so  they  all  went  in. 

They  found  it  much  larger  than,  any  in  their  own 
city,  but  in  its  main  features  it  was  much  the  same.  There 
was  a  fine  display  of  flowers  and  a  small  one  of  fruit  What 
fruit  there  was  for  sale  was  of  fine  appearance,  but  high 
priced.  Three  large  pine-apples  attracted  the  boys'  atten- 
tion ;  Grant  Hillman  pointed  to  the  largest  and  asked 
how  much  it  was.  The  market-man  said  something 
about  its  being  a  pound,  and  Grant  asked  how  much  it 
was  a  pound.  The  dealer  looked  at  him  in  astonishment 
and  then  replied,  somewhat  testily,  "a  pound;  twenty 
shillings."  Grant  was  somewhat  taken  aback  by  the  man's 

19 


LIVERPOOL 

manner,  but  he  found  out  afterward  that  these  pine-apples 
had  been  grown  in  a  hot-house,  and  that  they  were  indeed 
five  dollars  each. 

The  display  of  game  was  really  wonderful.  The 
boys  in  particular  were  carried  away  and  wanted  to  go 
hunting  that  very  day.  Judge  McGee  explained  to  them 
that  these  deer,  hares,  and  partridges  were  not  wild  ones, 
such  as  those  we  see  in  the  American  markets,  but  were 
raised  for  market  the  same  as  sheep  and  chickens.  The 
girls  greatly  admired  the  beautiful  pheasants  and  thought 
they  would  like  some  of  the  feathers  for  their  hats. 

On  their  way  out  of  the  market  they  met  an  old 
woman,  crying  "Hot  snails!  hot  snails!"  She  had  a  great 
tray  full  of  smoking  hot  snails.  "What  does  she  do  with 
these?"  asked  Mamie  Belville. 

"Sells  them  for  people  to  eat,"  replied  Jessie  Wil- 
liams. 

"No  she  don't  either,"  said  Mamie,  "does  she  Mr. 
McGee?" 

The  Judge  told  them  this  was  just  what  she  was 
doing.  Jessie  was  quite  as  much  surprised  as  any  of  them, 
for  she  had  only  made  her  remark  in  fun.  He  then  went 
on  to  say  that  there  were  few  oysters  in  England,  and 
these  snails  in  some  measure  took  their  place. 

"She  reminds  me,"  said  Johnny  Ashton,  "of  the  old 
women  who  sell  hot  peanuts." 

"  I  wish  I  had  some  peanuts,"  said  Hattie  Clark. 

"So  do  I,"  chimed  in  the  other  five  girls. 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  McGee,  "  I  am  afraid  you  must  wait 
until  we  get  to  Africa,  for  here  peanuts  are  not  eaten  any- 
more than  snails  are  in  America." 

Grant  Hillman  thought  he  had  read  somewhere  that 
peanuts  were  exported  from  the  Congo  region  to  England. 

20 


LIVERPOOL, 

"So  they  are,"  the  Judge  replied,  "but  they  are  used 
for  making  table  oil,  and  not  for  eating  out  of  hand  as 
with  us." 

The  party  now  passed  down  Church  street  and  Lord 
street  into  the  Crescent,  and  turned  into  South  Castle 
street.  Elegant  shops,  with  show-windows  filled  with  the 
richest  goods,  lined  both  sides  of  the  way.  At  the  foot  of 
South  Castle  street  the  great  dome  of  the  custom-house 
rose  high  above  the  surrounding  buildings.  Number  64 
was  near  the  lower  end  of  the  street,  and  on  reaching  it 
they  found  they  must  pass  through  a  narrow  passage  and 
up  a  flight  of  steps  in  order  to  reach  the  offices  of  Alex- 
ander &  Christie. 

Mr.  Alexander  greeted  them  with  quiet  dignity,  and 
after  reading  the  letters  Judge  McGee  had  brought  with 
him,  inquired  if  their  passage  across  the  Atlantic  had  been 
a  pleasant  one,  and  what  their  present  plans  were.  On 
hearing  they  wished  to  sail  for  Gaboon  he  told  them 
they  were  quite  fortunate,  as  the  royal  mail  steamer 
"  Nubia,"  in  charge  of  the  Commodore  Captain  of  the 
fleet,  was  to  sail  on  Saturday.  He  advised  them  to  secure 
their  berths  at  once,  "for,"  said  he,  "these  steamers  do 
not  have  large  passenger  accommodation,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  every  berth  is  taken.  The  office  of  the  company 
is  in  James  street,  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  here,  and 
if  you  wish  I  will  go  with  you." 

Of  course  they  were  glad  enough  to  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  his  company,  so  they  all  went  to  the  steamship 
office.  Mr.  Sinclair,  the  agent,  invited  them  into  his  pri- 
vate room,  and  while  the  gentlemen  completed  the  busi- 
ness arrangements,  the  young  folks  looked  at  the  pictures 
of  steamers  hanging  on  the  walls. 


21 


LIVERPOOL 

While  they  were  talking  Captain  Davis  came  in.  He 
looked  like  a  regular  "old  salt,"  and  his  merry  eves 
twinkled  when  he  heard  they  were  going  out  with  him. 
"So  you  youngsters  are  going  out  to  Africa,  are  you?" 
said  he ;  "Well,  you  will  wish  yourselves  back  again  long 
before  you  get  there,  now  mind  I  tell  you.  Africa  is  no 
place  for  the  likes  of  you." 

Laura  Reed  replied  that  they  expected  to  rough  it  • 
and  Captain  Davis  allowed  they  would  not  be  disap- 
pointed. "But,"  said  he,  "if  you  are  bound  to  go,  I  will 
take  the  best  care  of  you  I  can,  and  there  is  one  thing  you 
must  do,  you  must  come  out  to  my  house  to-night  and 
take  tea  with  me." 

They  thanked  the  Captain  for  his  kind  invitation, 
and  said  they  would  accept  it  with  pleasure,  if  Mr.  McGee 
thought  best.  The  Judge  and  the  Captain  were  old 
friends,  and  it  took  no  pressure  to  induce  Mr.  McGee  to- 
promise  that  they  would  be  at  Edge  Lane  at  five  o'clock. 

On  their  way  back  to  South  Castle  street  they  called 
at  a  shop  in  the  Crescent  to  make  some  purchases.  Judge 
McGee  thought  it  best  for  them  to  get  pith  hats  and  yellow 
sun-umbrellas  with  green  lining,  such  as  foreigners  usually 
carry  in  the  tropics.  Mr.  Alexander  introduced  the  party 
to  Mr.  Simpson,  the  proprietor  of  the  shop,  and  he  took 
especial  pains  to  please  them.  There  was  some  discussion 
as  to  which  style  of  hat  was  best  suited  to  a  hot  sun ;  the 
helmet,  or  the  flat  shaped.  While  the  helmet  is  the  more 
common  style,  it  was  agreed  that  the  flat  shaped  crown 
permitted  a  better  circulation  of  air  over  the  head,  and 
also  shaded  the  face  more  than  the  helmet. 

Mr.  Alexander  inquired  if  they  had  seen  the  docks, 
and  when  told  they  had  not,  he  proposed  they  should  go- 
and  offered  to  accompany  them.  "  I  promised  the  young 


LIVERPOOL 

people,"  said  Judge  McGee,  "  that  they  should  have  a  ride 
to-day,  on  the  top  of  a  tram ;  if  they  are  willing  to  wait 
another  day,  we  will  be  glad  to  accept  your  kind  invita- 
tion to  visit  the  docks,  for  they  are  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  world,  and  no  one  who  is  in  England  should  miss  see- 
ing them." 

The  young  folks  were  anxious  to  see  the  docks,  and 
so  it  was  arranged  that  they  should  go  forthwith.  Mr. 
Alexander  remarked  the  "docks  were  hungry  places"  and 
suggested  it  might  be  well  to  have  something  to  eat  first, 
at  the  same  time  inviting  them  to  lunch  with  him.  It 
was  not  quite  noon  yet  but  the  suggestion  commended 
itself  to  our  young  travelers,  and  the  invitation  was 
accepted  with  thanks. 

Mr.  Alexander  took  them  to  a  neat  restaurant  nearly 
opposite  his  office  where,  he  said,  he  had  for  years  taken 
his  dinner.  The  place  was  kept  by  a  lady,  and  a  sweet- 
faced  girl,  named  Annie,  waited  on  them.  Mr.  Alexan- 
der told  his  new  friends  that  English  people  were  not 
much  hands  to  change  about  "When  we  are  suited,'* 
said  he,  "we  generally  stick  to  a  place.  There  are  men 
who  have  been  taking  their  dinner  here  regularly  for  the 
last  twenty  years." 

After  lunch  they  walked  down  South  Castle  street, 
to  the  custom-house,  and,  turning  to  the  right,  one  short 
square  brought  them  to  the  Salt-house  docks.  To  our 
young  adventurers  the  docks  appeared  a  labyrinth  of  ships, 
draw-bridges,  warehouses  and  streets,  and  there  were 
abundance  of  sights  for  the  young  eyes.  After  the  first 
shock  of  surprise,  the  twelve  young  tongues  began  to  rat- 
tle and  the  exclamations  of  wonder  were  frequent 

While  the  young  people  were  busy  looking  about, 
Mr.  Alexander  explained  the  plan  upon  which  the  clocks 


LIVERPOOL 

were  built.  "The  Mersey,"  said  lie,  "is  not  a  wide  river 
and  the  banks  are  shallow,  but  the  rise  and  fall  of  the 
tide  is  great.  This  latter  circumstance  made  the  docks 
not  only  necessary,  but  a  success.  An  outer,  or  sea-wall; 
was  built  in  the  river  parallel  with  the  bank,  and  the 
transverse  walls  were  run  to  the  shore.  The  space  thus 
enclosed  was  excavated  as  deep  as  the  bottom  of  the  river ; 
a  wall  on  the  land  side  completed  the  first  dock.  Others 
were  then  built,  until  now  the  total  length  is  about  nine 
miles.  There  is  no  advantage  in  having  the  docks  too 
wide,  for  vessels  must  lie  alongside  the  wall,  in  order  to 
discharge  and  load ;  so  there  is  a  double  line  of  docks,  one 
inside  or  nearer  the  city  than  the  other.  All  the  docks 
communicate  with  one  another  and  vessels  may  pass  at 
any  time,  but  they  cannot  go  through  the  outer  gates  into 
the  river  except  at  the  top  of  high  water." 

" How  many  weeks  does  it  take  to  load  a  vessel?" 
asked  Hattie  Clark. 

"When  there  is  need  for  haste,"  replied  Mr.  Alexan- 
der, "a  large  steamer  can  unload,  and  take  on  a  new 
cargo,  coal  and  provisions,  all  ready  for  sea  again,  in  four 
days." 

It  did  not  seem  possible,  but  Mr.  Alexander  thought 
the  work  might  be  accomplished  in  even  less  time. 

The  party  now  crossed  the  draw-bridge  and  proceeded 
tc  the  outer  line  of  the  docks.  The  accompanying  illus- 
tration was  taken  at  high  tide.  The  closed  gate  is  the 
one  through  which  the  steamers  pass.  The  open  one 
with  the  foot  bridge  over  it,  is  for  canal  boats  and  lighters. 
The  second  line  of  docks  is  quite  distinctly  seen. 

After  walking  about  some  time  amid  a  maze  of  walls, 
sheds  and  bridges,  they  came  to  a  narrow  dock  without 
any  water  in  it.  A  steamer  was  in  this  dock  and  it  was 

24 


LIVERPOOL 

"braced  in  every  direction  with  heavy  timbers  to  keep  it 
from  falling  over.  The  dock  narrowed  toward  the  bot- 
tom and  a  large  force  of  men  were  scraping  the  sides  of 
the  vessel,  and  some  were  putting  on  red  paint. 

This  was  called  a  graving-dock. 

Mr.  Alexander  explained  that  every  two  or  three 
months  a  ship,  especially  if  she  sails  in  Southern  waters, 
must  be  scraped  and  painted  ;  that  not  only  will  grass 
grow  on  the  bottom,  but  oysters  and  other  shell-fish  will 
stick  fast  and  greatly  impede  the  progress  of  the  vessel. 

"  A  grass-field  on  the  bottom  of  a  ship!"  exclaimed 
Johnny  Ash  ton. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Alexander,  "I  have  seen  grass  on 
a  ship's  side  several  inches  long." 

"  I  had  no  idea,"  remarked  Mamie  Belville,  "that  so 
large  a  portion  of  a  ship  is  under  water." 

"  Xor  had  I,"  echoed  Jessie  Williams,  "  and  I  do  not 
think  they  are  nearly  so  pretty  when  you  see  the  whole  of 
them,  as  they  are  when  floating  proudly  on  the  ocean." 

"  That,"  said  Judge  McGee,  "  is  because  they  are  in 
their  natural  element,  while  here  in  the  graving-dock  they 
are  like  people  who  are  placed  in  a  false  position  ;  they 
are  helpless  and  appear  to  a  disadvantage." 

"  What  is  that  wheel  sticking  out  behind  for  ?  "  asked 
Grace  Thompson. 

"  That,"  replied  Mr.  Alexander,  "  is  the  propeller ; 
when  it  turns  around  it  pushes  the  ship  forward." 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  can,"  said  Grace. 

"  I  admit,"  answered  Mr.  Alexander,  "  that  it  is  not 
easy  to  see  how  such  a  small  wheel  can  develop  so  much 
power." 

"  How  does  it  get  its  power  any  way?"  asked  Robbie 
Campbell. 

25 


LIVERPOOL 

"  On  the  principle  of  the  screw,''  explained  Mr^ 
Alexander  ;  when  you  turn  a  screw  it  must  go  forward. 
The  water  is  like  a  solid  plank  of  wood  ;  when  this  wheel 
turns  in  the  water,  it  bores  its  way  ahead  like  an  auger  or 
screw."  The  young  people  were  still  unable  to  see  how 
so  small  a  wheel  could  push  so  large  a  vessel,  but  they 
wisely  let  the  matter  rest  and  said  no  more  about  it. 

It  was  now  three  o'clock  and  they  were  getting  tired ; 
they  made  their  way  presently  to  the  street,  and  calling 
cabs,  were  driven  to  the  hotel.  Here  they  had  a  light 
lunch  and  rested  awhile,  and  then  repaired  to  their  rooms 
to  prepare  their  toilets  for  the  evening.  At  half-past  four 
they  were  on  the  station  platform  at  the  rear  of  the  hotel. 

"  How  convenient;"  exclaimed  Mamie  Belville,  "  it 
is  no  more  trouble  to  take  a  train  here,  than  it  is  to  go- 
into  the  dining-room  for  breakfast." 

As  one  compartment  in  the  railway  carriage  would 
not  hold  them  all,  the  boys  took  one  to  themselves,  while 
Judge  McGee  and  the  girls  occupied  the  other. 

Ten  minutes  later  they  were  on  the  platform  of  Edge 
Lane  station,  where  Captain  Davis  was  waiting  to  meet 
them.  His  home  was  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the 
station,  and  was  charmingly  situated  amid  shrubbery  and 
trees.  The  Band  were  delighted  to  be  in  a  real  English 
home,  and  Mrs.  Davis  was  so  kind  and  motherly  they  quite 
forgot  they  were  in  a  foreign  land.  There  were  several 
young  people,  too,  in  the  family,  and  that  made  it  still 
more  agreeable ;  besides,  an  older  daughter  was  married 
and  lived  near  by ;  she  came  in,  and  altogether  it  made  a 
houseful. 

Captain  Davis  was  just  in  his  element;  it  was  hard 
to  tell  which  he  liked  best,  a  party  of  young  folks,  or  a 
good  stiff  breeze  at  sea.  His  house  was  filled  with  African. 

26 


LIVERPOOL 

curiosities ;  these  possessed  an  added  interest  to  the  young- 
visitors,  as  they  were  so  soon  to  tread  the  shores  of  that 
wonderful  land.  They  had  an  elegant  "tea,"  to  which 
the  guests  did  ample  justice.  It  was  the  first  time  they 
had  dined  at  home  since  leaving  Philadelphia. 

Mrs.  Davis  was  a  Devonshire  lady,  and  one  of  the 
dishes  of  the  evening  was  "  Devonshire  cream,"  something- 
entirely  new  to  the  young  Americans.  They  all  agreed 
it  was  delicious.  The  hours  passed  rapidly  and  before 
they  knew  it,  it  was  after  ten  o'clock.  Reluctantly  they 
put  on  their  wraps  and  bade  their  kind  entertainers  "good- 
bye," and  when  they  alighted  on  the  hotel  platform  it 
wanted  but  five  minutes  of  eleven. 

Next  morning  they  were  not  up  quite  so  early  as 
they  had  been  the  morning  before.  After  breakfast  Judge 
McGee  proposed  they  should  take  the  promised  ride  on 
the  top  of  a  "tram."  The  party  were  soon  ready,  and  a 
few  minutes  later  they  were  climbing  the  circular  stairway 
that  led  to  the  top. 

Frank  Harris  called  it  the  hurricane  deck,  "  because," 
said  he,  "here  is  where  you  get  all  the  wind." 

The  motion  was  much  easier  than  that  of  the  street 
cars  in  America.  This,  the  Judge  told  them,  was  because 
the  track  was  much  more  solidly  laid.  "The  English," 
said  he,  "are  not  so  inventive  as  the  Americans,  but  what 
they  do,  they  do  well ;  in  this  respect  they  surpass  us." 

Their  route  took  them  around  Great  George  hall,  past 
St.  John's  Church  and  into  Scotland  Road,  one  of  the 
great  thoroughfares  of  the  city.  They  were  greatly  inter- 
ested by  all  they  saw,  and  the  girls  thought  it  was  "just 
too  jolly  for  anything."  An  hour's  ride  brought  them  to 
the  village  of  West  Derby,  adjoining  the  estate  of  the  Earl 
of  Derbv.  Not  far  from  the  terminus  of  the  tramway  was 


27 


LIVERPOOL 

the  great  iron  gate  by  which  admittance  is  gained  to  the 
grounds.  Our  young  tourists  remained  on  the  top  of  the 
tram,  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  started  on  its  return  trip  to 
the  city. 

On  arrival  at  the  hotel  they  found  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Alexander  awaiting  them,  inviting  them  to  tea  at  his 
mother's  home  in  Birkenhead  on  Friday  evening.  After 
the  Judge  had  replied,  cordially  accepting  the  invitation, 
they  all  started  out  for  a  walk  up  London  Road,  the  great 
shopping  street  of  the  city,  especially  for  medium  priced 
goods.  They  learned  that  a  dry-goods  store  was  called  a 
"  draper's  shop,"  and  notions  were  known  as  "  haber- 
dashery." Goods  in  the  windows  were  priced  in  "shil- 
lings" or  "  guineas." 

"  How  much  is  a  guinea?"  asked  Lulu  Wright. 

"A  guinea,"  replied  the  Judge,  "is  twenty-one  shil- 
lings, and  a  pound  is  twenty  shillings ;  a  shilling  is  nearly 
twenty-five  cents  of  our  money." 

"  What  is  a  sovereign?"  asked  Willie  Richman. 

"A  sovereign,"  said  Judge  McGee,  "is  the  name  of  a 
gold  piece  which  represents  a  pound,  and  is  the  unit  of 
value  in  English  money  as  the  dollar  is  of  American 
money." 

After  lunch  the  party  took  carriages  and  drove  to 
Prince's  Park,  and  afterward  to  Sefton  Park.  These  parks 
are  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  differ  from  most  parks  in 
American  cities  in  that  man}-  residences  are  scattered  about 
in  them.  "  It  must  be  just  too  nice  for  anything," 
exclaimed  Mamie  Belville,  "to  live  in  such  a  beautiful 
park  as  this." 

"O!  it  must  be  just  lovely,"  chimed  in  the  rest  of 
the  girls. 


28 


LIVERPOOL 

The  Judge  quite  agreed  with  .them,  but  at  the  same 
time  reminded  his  young  friends  that  those  who  seem  to 
have  the  most  of  the  world  to  enjoy,  are  not  always  the 
happiest.  The  Band  were  willing  to  admit  all  this,  and 
yet  that  Prince's  Park  was  a  wondrously  pleasant  place  to 
live  in,  could  not  be  denied.  It  was  still  early  in  the 
afternoon,  and  as  they  thought  they  would  like  to  see  a 
little  of  the  country,  they  drove  out  to  the  village  of 
Wavertree. 

"Why  do  the  English  build  such  high  walls  around 
the  grounds  of  their  country  places?"  asked  Hattie  Clark. 

"Why,"  added  Lulu  Wright,  "  I  noticed  one  wall  that 
must  have  been  ten  teet  high,  and  a  hedge  growing  on 
top  of  that." 

The  Judge  explained  that  it  was  the  nature  of  the 
English  people  to  be  exclusive,  but  that  when  one  gained 
their  confidence  they  were  the  kindest  hearted  of  all  people. 
But  if  the  country  residences  were  partly  hidden  from 
view,  the  fields  were  not.  September  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  months  of  the  year,  and  our  little  friends  may 
be  pardoned  if,  as  they  drove  along,  they  thought  England 
must  be  the  most  beautiful  country  in  the  world. 

Friday  morning  was  spent  in  Brown  Museum  and  the 
Art  Gallery,  both  of  which  are  near  the  hotel.  After  lunch 
they  took  a  good  rest,  and  at  three  o'clock  they  left  the 
hotel  to  spend  the  evening  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander. 
On  the  Landing  Stage  they  were  met  by  Mr.  Alexander, 
and  as  soon  as  the  ferry-boat  had  discharged  her  passen- 
gers, they  went  on  board.  The  tide  is  so  strong  in  the 
Mersey  that  ferry-boats  do  not  run  "  end  on  "  in  a  slip,  but 
come  alongside  of  the  pier  and  the  passengers  go  on  and 
off  from  the  side  of  the  boat,  as  on  a  Delaware  river 
steam-boat. 


29 


LIVERPOOL 

Mrs.  Alexander  lived  on  the  outskirts  of  Birkenhead, 
in  one  of  those  lovely  homes  for  which  England  is  famous. 
After  tea  Mr.  Alexander  took  Mr.  McGee  and  the  boys 
up  to  his  workshop,  and  while  he  and  the  Judge  enjoyed 
a  quiet  cigar,  the  boys  were  busy  examining  the  specimens 
of  his  handiwork.  Among  other  things  was  a  steamer, 
about  three  feet  long,  complete  in  every  detail.  Although 
so  small,  it  was  a  real,  true  steamer  for  sure.  A  small 
lamp  generated  steam  which  ran  a  real  engine,  and  the 
little  vessel  had  made  more  than  one  voyage  across  the  lake 
in  Birkenhead  Park.  Of  course  it  was  so  small  that  no 
one  could  ride  on  it. 

Down  in  the  parlor  Mrs.  Alexander  was  entertaining 
the  girls  with  stories  of  English  life ;  she  also  informed 
them  that  her  son  was  a  confirmed  bachelor — a  state  of 
affairs  the  girls  had  already  suspected.  She  thought  her 
James  was  the  best  son  in  the  world,  and  indeed  two 
happier  people  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  By  and  by  the 
gentlemen  came  down  stairs  and  the  conversation  became 
both  general  and  animated.  It  was  a  late  hour  when  they 
left.  Mr.  Alexander  accompanied  them  to  the  railway 
station,  for  they  did  not  return  by  the  ferry,  but  by  the 
tunnel  under  the  river. 

Saturday  morning  was  spent  in  making  a  few  addi- 
tional purchases  and  other  preparations  for  their  voyage. 
They  were  about  to  exchange  civilization  for  an  unknown 
and  savage  land — one  that  was  popularly  known  as  the 
"white  man's  grave" — and  they  naturally  felt  pretty  seri- 
ous about  it. 

At  half-past  two  they  were  upon  the  Landing  Stage, 
where  they  found  Mr.  Alexander  and  his  partner,  Mr. 
Robertson,  awaiting  them.  Their  luggage  was  carefully 


LIVERPOOL 

placed  upon  the  tender,  and  they  then  paced  np  and  down 
awaiting  the  hour  of  departure. 

It  was  a  busy  and  animated  scene. 

Porters  with  great  trunks  and  cases  on  their  shoul- 
ders, were  hurrying  down  the  bridges  from  the  pier-head. 
Mail  sacks  and  parcels  of  all  kinds  were  brought  from 
varioiis  directions  and  quickly  transferred  to  the  tender. 
Little  family  groups  were  gathered  here  and  there  to  say 
"good-bye"  to  a  husband,  or  a  son — may  be  never  to  see 
the  loved  face  again. 

Our  little  travelers  were  much  affected,  for  their  own 
parting  from  dear  ones  was  still  fresh  in  their  memories. 
At  length  the  hour  came,  and  they  went  on  board  the 
tender,  which  was  soon  speeding  its  way  up  the  river. 

"Why  do  we  go  up  the  river?"  asked  Grant  Hill- 
man. 

"  Because  our  vessel  is  there  loading  powder,"  replied 
Captain  Davis. 

"Powder!"  exclaimed  the  girls  in  chorus,  "is  there 
powder  on  the  ship,  Captain?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Captain  Davis,  "  there  is  eighty  tons  of  it" 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  filled  with  dismay.  The 
boys  tried  to  look  brave,  but  did  not  succeed  very  well. 
Judge  McGee  asked  if  it  was  customary  to  carry  so  much 
powder,  and  why  it  was  done. 

Captain  Davis  explained  that  this  powder  is  used  in 
trade  with  the  natives  and  that  every  steamer  going  to 
Africa  carries  a  large  quantity  of  it.  "  I  have  known," 
said  he,  "a  ship  to  take  out  as  much  as  eight  hundred 
tons  on  a  single  voyage.  We  have  a  magazine  built 
expressly  for  it  and  will  this  time  take  no  more  than  it 
will  hold ;  but  sometimes  we  take  it  between  decks  with 
the  other  cargo." 


LIVERPOOL 

It  was  not  a  pleasing  prospect,  but  our  young  friends 
had  set  their  faces  toward  the  Dark  Continent,  and  were 
not  to  be  turned  back  by  the  prospect  of  an  accident ;  so 
they  said  no  more  about  the  powder.  By  this  time  they 
were  alongside  the  Nubia,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the 
anchor  was  up,  and  they  were  on  their  way  down  the 
river. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MADEIRA. 


OUR  little  travelers  found  the  Nubia  a  very  dif- 
ferent steamer  from  the  Lord  Gough.  The 
latter  vessel  was  built  for  the  cold  and  stormy 
Atlantic ;  the  Nubia  was  designed  for  warmer 
climes  and  smoother  seas.  She  had  accommodations  for 
•only  about  twenty  saloon  passengers,  but  her  rooms  were 
large,  and  there  was  abundance  of  air  and  light.  Like 
the  Lord  Gough  the  saloon  and  staterooms  were  amid- 
ships, a  rare  thing  on  an  African  steamer,  for  usually 
these  apartments  are  at  the  stern  of  the  ship,  where  the 
motion  is  greatest.  Some  of  the  old  hands  prefer  this 
arrangement  still,  for  they  think  it  removes  them  farther 
from  the  noise  and  confusion  of  working  the  cargo.  Be 
that  as  it  ma}-,  our  friends  were  glad  they  were  on  the 
Nubia  where  they  were  likely  to  be  far  less  seasick  than 
they  would  be  in  the  old  style  of  vessel. 

The  ship  took  the  same  course  they  had  followed 
when  coming  into  Liverpool,  until  Holyhead  was  passed, 
when,  instead  of  crossing  over  to  the  Irish  coast,  they  kept 
ri^ht  down  the  middle  of  the  Channel.  Their  course  was 


33 


MADEIRA 

a  little  west  of  south,  and  for  six  days  they  steamed 
along  without  any  unusual  incident  occurring.  Occa- 
sionally a  steamer  was  seen  homeward  bound  from  the 
Brazils  or  the  Mediterranean,  a  long  trail  of  black  smoke 
streaming  behind  her ;  and  sometimes  the}'  passed  a  sail- 
ing vessel  making  her  way  to  some  distant  portion  of  the 
earth.  But  most  of  the  time  there  was  nothing  in  sight 
but  sea  and  sky,  and  as  it  was  not  always  fit  to  be  on 
deck,  they  had  a  dull  time. 

At  noon,  on  the  sixth  day,  some  brown  rocks  were 
seen  on  the  horizon  on  the  starboard  bow  ;  these,  the 
Captain  informed  them,  were  the  Desertes,  rocky  islands 
belonging  to  the  Madeira  group.  They  are  small  and 
uninhabited,  but  sometimes  people  go  there  to  catch  fish. 
As  the  afternoon  wore  away  Madeira  was  seen  rising 
grandly  from  the  ocean,  and  in  the  early  evening  they 
were  steaming  past  it. 

The  night  was  bright  and  clear,  and  the  Ogowe 
Band  were  on  deck  until  a  late  hour  enjoying  the  novelty 
of  the  scene.  Before  them  rose  the  island  in  majestic 
grandeur  to  a  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  its  summit 
draped  in  light,  fleecy  clouds.  The  waves  dashed  against 
the  face  of  the  rocky  cliffs,  while  above,  on  the  mountain 
side,  little  clusters  of  lights  here  and  there  showed  the 
positions  of  the  villages.  By  and  by  the  steamer  rounded 
the  Point,  and  in  about  an  hour  the  great  mass  of  lights 
ashore  indicated  they  were  abreast  of  Funchal.  These 
lights  shone  so  brightly  in  the  clear  night  air  that  it 
almost  seemed  as  if  a  part  of  the  starry  host  had  fallen 
upon  the  mountain  side. 

It  was  a  lovely  night,  and  from  the  steamer's  deck 
the  scene  was  novel  and  enchanting.  All  around  was  the 
wide  sea,  now  lying  as  calm  and  peaceful  as  a  babe  asleep. 

34 


MADEIRA 

Above,  in  the  black  vault  of  heaven,  the  stars  shone  like 
celestial  lamps  along  the  highways  of  the  spirit  world. 
To  the  right  was  the  strange  volcanic  island,  so  little 
known  in  the  Western  world.  In  the  quiet  night  the 
steamer  appeared  like  a  great  live  creature,  its  iron  heart 
throbbing  with  a  ceaseless  purpose  to  bear  them  away  to 
still  more  distant  lands.  Conversation  was  hushed ;  every 
soul  was  communing  with  the  inspiration  of  the  night ; 
laying  up  in  the  treasure-house  of  memory  a  store  of 
impressions  as  food  for  thought  in  the  years  to  come. 
Nor  did  they  find  it  easy  to  leave  this  fairy  land  and  go 
down  stairs  to  engage  in  the  prosy  occupation  of  undress- 
ing and  going  to  bed.  The  steamer  could  not  enter  the 
roadstead  until  sunrise  and  so  lay  outside  under  "dead 
slow"  steam  the  rest  of  the  night. 

Notwithstanding  the  late  hours  of  the  previous 
night,  our  little  voyagers  were  up  betimes  in  the  morning. 
The  Nubia  was  at  anchor  close  in  to  the  shore  and  was 
surrounded  by  a  small  fleet  of  row-boats,  whose  swarthy 
crews  hoped  to  make  a  few  shillings  by  taking  passengers 
ashore.  They  crowded  especially  about  the  gangway 
and  with  loud  cries  sought  to  call  attention  to  themselves 
and  their  boats.  Some  clambered  over  the  side  and 
brought  with  them  basket  work,  feather  ornaments,  shells, 
needle-work,  pictures,  willow  chairs  and  a  variety  of 
other  goods  for  sale. 

In  two  of  the  boats  were  small  boys  who  seemed  to 
be  anxious  to  obtain  some  favor,  but  what  it  was  our 
young  people  did  not  know.  The  ship's  Doctor  explained 
that  they  wanted  to  dive  for  sixpences ;  and  then,  drawing 
one  from  his  pocket,  he  threw  it  into  the  water.  It  was 
so  clear  that  the  sixpence  could  be  seen  turning  over  and 
over  as  it  slowly  descended.  When  a  few  feet  beneath 

35 


the  surface  two  of  the  boys  dived,  and  presently  one 
appeared  with  the  coin  in  his  teeth ;  after  shaking  the 
water  from  his  face,  he  held  it  up  in  his  hands  so  the  Doc- 
tor could  see  that  he  had  it.  The  Ogowe  Band  were 
highly  interested  and  they  threw  a  number  of  coins  in 
the  water,  every  one  of  which  the  boys  brought  out 
again.  The  water  was  so  clear  that  every  motion  was 
plainly  seen,  and  the  Judge  was  as  much  interested  in  the 
performance  as  the  young  folks. 

Our  happy  young  voyagers  now  turned  their  atten- 
tion from  the  boys  to  the  shipping  in  the  roadstead,  and 
the  sights  and  scenes  ashore.  They  were  surprised  to  see 
so  many  steamers,  and  so  they  inquired  why  it  was,  for 
they  had  thought  Madeira  was  seldom  visited. 

Captain  Davis  replied  that  the  island  is  just  in  the 
track  of  all  vessels  going  to  the  South  Atlantic.  "  All 
those  steamers,"  said  he,  "that  go  to  the  West  coast  of 
Af-ica,  all  that  go  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  as  well  as 
those  that  go  to  the  Brazils,  and  every  part  of  South 
America,  pass  Madeira,  and  call  in,  like  ourselves,  for  coal, 
water  and  fresh  provisions."  "  This  steamer  coming  in," 
said  he,  "is  the  Moor  from  Cape  Town.  The  one  just 
over  there  is  the  Corisco  from  the  West  coast  of  Africa, 
where  we  are  going.  Those  two  are  the  Carl  Woermarm 
from  Hamburg,  and  the  Angola  from  Lisbon  ;  the  one 
bound  for  the  German  and  the  other  for  the  Portuguese 
possessions  in  Africa.  That  large  one  is  the  Hipparchus 
from  Hamburg  for  the  Brazils,  and  the  small  one  which 
has  just  anchored,  has  come  from  the  Azores,  or,  as  we 
Britishers  call  them,  the  Western  Islands." 

Saxe  Deemey  asked  if  coal  was  found  on  the  island. 

"No,"  said  Captain  Davis,  "it  is  all  brought  out  from 
England." 

36 


MADEIRA 

"What  is  this  large  rock?"  asked  Laura  Reed;  "it 
looks  like  a  castle." 

"That,"  answered  the  Captain,  "is  Lou  Rock;  it  is 
a  fortress  and  prison  all  in  one ;  it  is  also  a  signal  station, 
and  is  a  rendezvous  for  the  health  and  customs  officers. 
They  were  off  here  to  see  me  this  morning  before  you 
were  out  on  deck." 

"That  old  fort  is  no  good  anyhow,"  said  Johnny 
Ashton,  "one  of  our  big  rifled  cannon  would  make  a  stone 
quarry  of  it  in  a  couple  of  shots." 

With  this  sentiment  the  Band  were  quite  agreed. 
They  indulged  the  conceit,  so  common  among  their 
countrymen,  that  America  could  beat  the  world,  and  was 
prepared  to  do  it.  The  Judge  well  knew  that  a  wider 
acquaintance  among  the  nations  would  partly  dispel  this 
illusion;  so  he  said  nothing ;  and  his  young  companions 
soon  turned  their  attention  to  the  sights  ashore. 

Just  before  them  the  city  of  Funchal  lay,  built  in 
solid  squares  near  the  waterside,  and  then  climbed  the 
mountain  in  several  directions.  Along  the  beach,  boats 
laden  with  merchandise  were  arriving  and  departing,  oxen 
were  drawing  heavy  loads  in  various  directions,  and  num- 
bers of  people  \vere  hurrying  to  and  fro.  Above,  the 
clouds  were  just  rising  from  the  mountain  tops;  among 
the  peaks  yawned  great  canyons  as  though  the  mountain 
had  been  forcibly  rent  asunder.  The  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountain  were  terraced  and  planted  with  grapes  and  sugar- 
cane, which  were  now  being  ripened  by  the  autumn  sun. 
Above  the  town  were  many  country-seats,  almost  hidden 
from  view  by  the  orange  and  lemon  orchards  that  sur- 
rounded them.  Near  the  sea,  in  sheltered  situations,  were 
small  fields  of  bananas,  their  broad  leaves  waving  gently 
in  the  slight  breeze. 

37 


Captain  Davis  invited  our  young'  travelers  to  spend 
the  day  on  shore  with  him,  and  ordered  breakfast  half  an 
hour  earlier  than  usual  so  they  might  have  a  good  start. 
This  invitation,  it  is  needless  to  say,  was  accepted  with 
pleasure.  The  Captain  thought  best  not  to  go  in  his  gig, 
as  the  native  boats  were  better  adapted  to  the  rocky  beach  ; 
so  two  were  chosen,  the  Captain  and  the  young  ladies 
going  in  one,  and  Judge  McGee  and  the  boys  in  the  other. 
These  boats  had  a  deep,  thick  keel,  and  the  moment  one 
touched  bottom,  the  crew  jumped  out  in  the  water,  and, 
with  the  aid  of  their  comrades  who  stood  near,  drew  it 
upon  the  shingly  beach  out  of  reach  of  the  waves. 

They  landed  at  the  foot  of  a  street  that  might  be 
called  the  main  entrance  to  the  town.  A  double  row  of 
trees  cast  a  grateful  shade,  for  on  shore  the  sun  was  warm. 
No  guide  was  needed,  for  Captain  Davis  knew  the  way  as 
well  as  he  did  in  his  own  home  city  of  Liverpool ;  but  the 
beggars  were  so  numerous  and  troublesome  that  old 
Antonio  was  hired,  more  to  keep  them  off  than  any- 
thing else. 

The  Ogowe  Band  walked  up  the  street  in  open- 
mouthed  wonder ;  here  they  were,  sure  enough,  in  this 
remote  island  of  the  sea,  with  everything  about  them  so 
new  and  strange.  Perhaps  it  is  hardly  proper  to  say 
"new,"  for  the  island  and  its  people  are  more  like  a  portion 
of  the  middle  ages  preserved  for  our  inspection,  than  they 
are  like  the  nineteenth  century. 

Just  then  a  sled  with  a  carriage-top  on  it  and  drawn 
by  two  oxen,  came  around  the  corner.  It  came  slipping 
and  sliding  along,  the  men  who  were  managing  it  uttering 
loud  cries,  apparently  to  the  oxen. 

"What  in  the  world  is  that?"  exclaimed  Lulu 
Wright. 

38 


MADEIRA 

As  she  spoke,  one  of  the  men  threw  a  dirty  rag  in 
front  of  one  of  the  runners  of  the  sled,  and  when  the 
runner  had  passed  over  it  he  picked  it  up  again  and  took 
it  with  him. 

"That  sled,"  said  Captain  Davis,  "is  a  Madeira  car- 
riage." 

"A  carriage,  indeed,"  chimed  in  two  of  the  girls  at 
once,  "where  are  the  wheels?" 

The  Captain  told  them  there  was  not  a  wheeled 
vehicle  on  the  island,  and  that  these  sleds  were  the  usual 
means  for  getting  about  unless  one  went  afoot. 

"  What  did  that  man  throw  the  rag  under  the  sled 
for?"  asked  Grace  Thompson. 

Captain  Davis  called  their  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  street  was  paved  with  small,  smooth  boulders  set  on 
edge,  and  that  they  wrere  quite  slippery.  "  Now,"  said  he 
""when  the  sled  does  not  seem  to  go  ahead  as  easily  as  it 
should,  that  greasy  rag  is  thrown  in  front  of  one  of  the 
runners  and  that  oils  the  machine  and  makes  it  go  more 
smoothly." 

"Well,  I  think  it's  a  stupid  mode  of  getting  around, 
anyway,"  remarked  Jessie  Williams. 

"It  may  seem  stupid  to  us,"  replied  the  Captain, 
"  but  it  is  well  adapted  to  these  mountain  roads,  and  the 
conditions  of  life  here.  These  oxen  may  be  slow  but 
they  are  sure-footed ;  they  will  subsist  on  much  coarser 
fare  than  horses ;  and  when  their  days  of  usefulness  are 
nearly  spent,  they  are  sold  to  the  steamers  in  the  shape 
of  fresh  beef;  thus  bringing  a  fair  profit  to  the  frugal 
islanders." 

Willie  Richman  thought  the  meat  would  be  tough ; 
but  Robbie  Campbell  allowed  that  would  make  it  go  far- 
ther, so  that  it  might  be  an  advantage. 

39 


MADEIRA 

After  passing  along  the  public  square,  they  entered 
a  side  street  and  went  into  the  office  of  the  steamship 
agents.  Here  the  Captain  sent  a  cablegram  to  Liverpool 
announcing  the  ship's  arrival ;  ordered  coal  and  some 
other  supplies ;  and  after  a  little  chat  with  the  agents,  he 
said  his  business  was  finished  and  placed  himself  at  the 
disposal  of  the  party. 

After  a  short  conference  with  Judge  McGee,  it  was 
decided  to  go  about  the  city,  make  some  purchases,  take 
lunch  at  Miles'  Hotel,  and  then  go  up  the  mountain.  As 
they  passed  out  into  the  street,  a  yoke  of  oxen  went  by, 
dragging  a  plank  some  eight  feet  long  and  fifteen  inches 
wide. 

" Is  that  another  Madeira  carriage?"  inquired  Saxe 
Deemey. 

"That,"  explained  Captain  Davis,  "is  a  truck;  it  is 
used  for  transporting  all  kinds  of  freight." 

The  boys  thought  they  had  come,  sure  enough,  to  the 
outer  verge  of  civilization,  but  there  was  such  an  abund- 
ance of  sights  for  the  young  eyes,  that,  for  the  present,, 
the  oxen  and  plank  passed  out  of  mind. 

Just  then  they  came  to  a  shop  where  willow  baskets 
and  chairs  were  for  sale.  The  Judge  suggested  the  pro- 
priety of  purchasing  a  chair  and  basket  for  each  of  his 
party ;  so  they  went  in.  It  did  not  take  the  Ogowe  Band 
long  to  make  up  their  minds  that  they  wanted  pretty 
much  everything  in  the  shop.  This  was  not  so  surpris- 
ing, for  the  goods  were  mostly  curiosities  made  for  sale  to 
tourists  to  carry  home  with  them  as  mementos  of  their 
visit.  Judge  McGee  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  they 
were  outward-bound  and  it  was  best  to  defer  the  purchase 
of  souvenirs  until  their  return.  "But,"  said  he,  "you 
might  get  a  few  pictures  to  send  back  by  Captain  Davis.'* 


MADEIRA 

"They  can  go  to-day  by  the  Corisco,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain ;  so  the  ones  that  appear  in  this  volume  were  chosen, 
and  sent,  duly  addressed,  to  the  steamship  office. 

They  had  not  gone  far  from  the  shop  when  Antonio 
led  them  through  an  open  doorway  into  what  proved  to 
be  the  open  court  of  a  house.  It  was  a  house  where 
feather-work  and  paper  flowers  were  made  for  sale.  At 
these  places  guides  are  paid  a  commission  on  all  sales 
made  to  tourists  whom  they  bring  in.  Our  friends  did 
not  wish  to  purchase  any  of  these  commodities,  but  they 
spent  a  little  time  in  examining  the  natural  flowers  grow- 
ing in  and  about  the  court. 

Such  floral  wealth  they  had  never  seen.  A  single 
heliotrope  was  fastened  to  one  side  of  the  house ;  it  spread 
out  to  a  height  and  breadth  of  over  ten  feet,  and  was  cov- 
ered with  bloom.  A  fuchsia  growing  against  the  wall  was 
even  larger,  and  must  have  had  at  least  a  bushel  of  blos- 
soms on  it.  A  scarlet  geranium  was  quite  as  large.  The 
girls  were  more  astonished  by  the  flowers  than  anything 
they  had  yet  seen,  and  could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes,  and 
the  Judge  felt  they  were  well  worth  coming  so  far  to  see. 

The  houses  are  mostly  built  on  three  sides  of  an  inte- 
rior court ;  the  fourth  side  being  closed  by  a  wall  covered 
upon  the  top  with  broken  bottles.  Toward  the  street  the 
first  story  presents  little  more  than  a  blank  wall.  The 
doors  are  heavy  and  often  covered  with  iron;  the  few 
windows  are  heavily  barred  like  a  prison,  and  have  no 
glass.  The  ground  floor  is  mostly  a  lumber  room,  or  is 
used  as  a  workshop.  Machinery  is  not  esteemed  in 
Madeira ;  nearly  every  kind  of  manufacture  is  carried  on 
by  hand.  As  our  friends  walked  along  they  saw  men  ply- 
ing their  various  trades  and  handicrafts,  each  at  the 
entrance  to  his  house. 


MADEIRA 

After  a  while  they  turned  up  the  street  seen  in  the 
engraving,  and  met  a  pleasant- faced  English  gentleman, 
who,  seeing  they  were  Americans,  invited  them  to  step  in 
his  house  and  sit  down  a  few  minutes  to  rest.  He  intro- 
duced himself  as  Rev.  Mr.  Smart,  agent  for  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  of  London.  His  house  is  on 
the  left  hand  side  of  the  street  shown  in  the  engraving, 
about  half  way  up.  He  took  his  guests  across  the  street 
where  Mrs.  Smart  was  teaching  an  infant  school.  The 
little  olive-skinned  children  eyed  our  young  friends,  and 
when  introductions  were  over,  sang  "  Safe  in  the  arms  of 
Jesus,"  in  the  Portuguese  tongue.  It  was  the  first  time 
our  young  travelers  had  heard  singing  in  a  foreign  lan- 
guage and  they  were  much  affected. 

From  this  interesting  little  school,  Antonio  led  them 
through  many  streets,  some  of  them  crooked  and  narrow, 
until  he  brought  them  to  a  large  building  which  proved 
to  be  a  sugar-mill.  The  young  folks  were  delighted  and 
the  Judge  too  was  pleased ;  not  one  of  the  party  had  ever 
been  in  a  sugar-mill  before. 

The  cane  stripped  of  its  leaves,  and  looking  like 
great  bare  cornstalks,  was  brought  in  on  sleds  by  oxen, 
and  run  between  heavy  rollers  to  crush  out  the  juice. 
After  passing  through  several  large  tanks  to  allow  it  to 
settle  and  purify,  it  was  run  into  long  shallow  pans  and 
boiled.  It  was  a  hot,  dirty,  sticky  place,  but  the  Ogowe 
Band  were  glad  they  had  seen  it,  for  they  felt  they  under- 
stood the  manufacture  of  sugar  as  they  never  could  have 
done  from  simply  reading  books. 

It  was  nearly  noon  and  they  were  hot  and  tired,  so 
they  were  quite  content,  for  the  time,  to  give  up  sight- 
seeing and  go  to  Miles'  Hotel  to  rest  and  have  some  lunch. 
When  they  reached  the  hotel,  they  passed  through  the 

42 


MADEIRA 

hall  out  to  the  covered  portico  which  surrounds  the  court, 
and,  throwing  themselves  into  the  cool  willow  chairs, 
declared  they  were  "just  too  tired  for  anything."  In  the 
centre  of  the  court  a  fountain  was  playing  and  gold-fish 
were  darting  about  in  the  water.  Beautiful  flowers  lined 
the  walks,  while  still  others  clambered  up  the  walls.  These 
sights  caused  the  spirits  of  the  young  tourists  quickly  to 
revive ;  it  was  not  many  minutes  before  they  were  in  the 
garden  examining  the  strange  plants  and  flowers,  and 
their  tongues  rattling  away  at  a  lively  rate. 

Judge  McGee  and  Captain  Davis  were  content  to  enjoy 
themselves  in  comfortable  repose  on  the  cool  veranda. 
While  the  young  folks  chattered  away  in  the  garden,  they 
engaged  in  a  quiet  talk  about  the  industrial  condition  of 
the  island.  The  Captain  informed  Mr.  McGee  that 
Madeira  was  not  as  prosperous  as  in  former  years.  Then 
wine  was  the  principal  article  of  export  and  it  brought 
high  prices ;  but  a  mysterious  disease  killed  most  of  the 
vines  and  no  branch  of  agriculture  has  since  been  found 
so  profitable.  "The  island  now  lives,"  said  the  Captain, 
"almost  entirely  upon  its  trade  with  passing  steamers. 
A  few  English  tourists  come  out  to  spend  the  winter,  but 
not  so  many  as  formerly.  Every  year  there  are  new 
places  of  attraction  opened  on  the  continent,  and  besides, 
it  is  getting  to  be  pretty  well  understood  that  Madeira  is 
not  especially  healthy." 

Judge  McGee  remarked  that  he  had  heard  Madeira 
spoken  of  as  a  sanitarium. 

The  Captain  replied  that  the  climate  was  mild  and 
agreeable,  and  for  a  strong,  healthy  man,  in  many  ways 
attractive;  but  for  consumptives  and  other  weak  persons 
it  was  too  debilitating.  Besides,  the  long  ocean  voyage 
required  to  reach  it,  must  ever  be  an  objection.  "  It  was 

43 


MADEIRA 

once  thought,"  continued  the  Captain,  "that  it  might  be 
a  good  place  for  those  who  were  suffering  from  the  African 
malaria  to  recruit  their  wasted  energies ;  but  that  idea  too- 
has  been  given  up." 

"  I  had  been  thinking  of  that  myself,"  observed  Mr~ 
McGee. 

"Well,"  responded  the  Captain,  "  I  used  to  think  so> 
too,  but  I  have  changed  my  mind.  When  a  man  comes 
here  from  the  African  coast  all  broken  down,  he  not  infre- 
quently gains  for  the  first  few  days ;  but  the  improvement 
is  soon  lost,  and  too  often  a  funeral  ends  the  voyage  for 
the  poor  fellow." 

Lunch  was  now  announced,  and  the  call  was  re- 
sponded to  with  alacrity.  The  food  was  good,  but  not 
very  abundant.  The  salads  and  fruits  were  especially 
grateful  to  the  little  voyagers  after  the  days  they  had 
spent  at  sea.  The  apples,  grapes  and  bananas  were  not 
better  than  they  had  eaten  at  home,  but  the  fresh  figs  were 
a  new  thing  to  them.  They  were  the  size  of  a  small  pear,, 
and  of  a  dark  purple  color  ;  most  of  the  Band  liked  them,., 
but  two  or  three  thought  they  were  "  sickish."  They  were 
disappointed  in  not  getting  oranges,  but  were  told  it  was 
not  the  season. 

When  lunch  was  over  our  young  friends  were  so  much 
rested  that  they  were  eager  for  new  scenes  and  adventures,, 
so  it  was  decided  to  start  at  once  for  the  mountain.  Four 
sleds  were  engaged  by  Antonio  ;  three  were  for  the  Band,, 
while  Judge  McGee  and  the  Captain  reserved  one  to- 
themselves  ;  hand  sleds  were  also  provided  to  bring  the 
party  down. 

It  was  an  imposing  cavalcade,  and  caused  some 
remark  as  they  passed  through  the  streets.  Each  sled  was 
in  charge  of  two  men  who  were  very  noisy,  shouting  with. 

44 


A    STREET    IN    FUNCHAL,    MADEIRA 


MADEIRA 

Discordant  voices  both  at  the  oxen  and  at  one  another ; 
presently  the  way  became  narrow  and  crooked,  and  in 
some  places  steep  ;  so  steep,  in  fact,  that  some  of  the  girls 
screamed  and  tried  to  get  out.  The  drivers  pushed  them 
back  and  tried  to  tell  them  there  was  no  danger,  but  it 
was  all  an  unknown  tongue  to  them  ;  however,  they 
understood  they  must  remain  where  they  were,  so  they 
tremblingly  resigned  themselves  to  their  fate. 

It  was  not  much  wonder  they  felt  nervous,  for  the 
•oxen  struggled  at  times  to  keep  their  footing,  and  in  the 
steepest  places  it  looked  to  the  girls  as  if  the  poor  beasts 
would  fall  back  on  them.  Nor  must  it  be  supposed  that 
the  boys  were  any  the  less  alarmed  ;  it  is  nonsense  to 
think  that  boys  are  naturally  braver  than  girls  ;  in  times 
of  great  danger  they  are  often  less  so. 

When  part  way  up,  the  sleds  halted  in  an  open  place 
to  rest,  and  there  was  a  lively  time  comparing  experiences. 
They  were  now  up  among  the  gardens  and  low  stone  huts 
of  the  peasant  people,  but  they  were  so  occupied  in 
-describing  the  recent  situation  that  they  did  not  take  time 
to  look  about  them.  The  rest  of  the  way  was  toilsome 
work,  and  when  they  had  mounted  another  thousand  feet, 
they  were  glad  enough  to  turn  off  into  the  pleasant 
.grounds  in  the  midst  of  which  was  the  mountain  home  of 
Mr.  Reid,  a  Scotch  merchant.  Mr.  Reid  gave  them  a 
hearty  welcome,  and  so  did  his  daughter,  who  was  just 
home  from  school  in  England. 

The  view  from  the  piazza  was  grandly  beautiful.  In 
front  upon  the  terraced  mountain-side  were  gardens,  vine- 
yards, and  patches  of  sugar-cane.  At  their  feet  was  the 
city  of  Funchal,  its  white  buildings  seeming  wondrously 
near,  so  clear  was  the  air.  Beyond  the  harbor  with  its 
-shipping,  the  great  ocean  stretched  away  into  infinity — 

45 


MADEIRA 

that  ocean  whose  pathless  wastes  they  were  to  traverse  in 
quest  of  unknown  lands  and  adventures — all  this  rich 
scene  lay  before  them  shimmering  in  the  warm  light  of 
the  autumn  sun. 

A  solemn  hush  for  the  moment  fell  upon  the  light- 
hearted  youngsters,  as  memory  brought  up  before  the 
mind  the  dear  ones  far  away  over  that  deep  blue  sea.  By 
its  power  it  stirred  the  imagination  in  an  instant  to  leap 
the  vast  expanse  of  waters,  and  set  before  them  the  sights 
and  scenes  of  the  home  land.  The  city,  the  streets,  the 
homes,  the  dear  ones,  and  all  the  loved  scenes  in  which 
they  had  so  lately  moved  passed  in  seeming  reality  before 
them,  and,  as  the  sense  of  the  isolation  of  their  position 
was  filling  their  young  eyes  with  tears,  Mr.  Reid  arose 
and  invited  them  to  take  a  walk  about  the  grounds.  This 
broke  the  spell,  and  in  a  moment  the  Ogowe  Band  were 
their  own  bright  happy  selves  once  more. 

Madeira,  by  its  equable  climate,  is  able  to  grow  the 
products  of  both  the  torrid  and  temperate  zones.  Here 
upon  Mr.  Reid's  grounds  the  young  travelers  saw  growing 
oranges  and  apples,  strawberries  and  pine-apples,  pears  and 
lemons,  potatoes  and  breadfruit,  cherries  and  bananas. 
Yet  after  all,  these  plants  do  not  flourish,  but  they  grow 
and  bear  fruit.  However,  if  fruits  do  not  flourish,  flowers 
certainly  do,  and  such  roses  our  young  friends  had  never 
seen. 

While  the  gentlemen  were  talking  about  the  state  of 
trade  and  the  various  industries  of  the  island,  Miss  Reid 
took  the  girls  with  her  into  the  vineyard.  The  main  crop 
had  already  been  gathered,  but  some  bunches  had  been 
left  here  and  there,  and  it  was  a  new  pleasure  to  the  girls 
to  be  in  a  real,  sure  enough  vineyard,  one  that  was,  very 
likely,  like  those  they  had  read  of  in  the  Bible,  in  the 

46 


MADEIRA 

land  of  Palestine.  The  grapes  were  good,  and  grateful  to 
the  taste,  more  especially  after  one  has  been  several  days  at 
sea,  but  they  could  scarcely  be  called  luscious.  Many  kinds 
sold  in  the  Philadelphia  markets  are  as  good,  if  not  better. 

While  they  were  enjoying  the  grapes  Miss  Reid  enter- 
tained them  with  a  description  of  the  kind  of  life  young 
people  live  in  Madeira,  and  of  her  own  school-days  in 
London.  She  was  not  half  done  when  Captain  Davis's 
voice  was  heard  calling  them,  for  the  time  was  rapidly 
passing  and  they  needed  to  be  on  their  way.  After  a  cup 
of  coffee,  they  bade  good-bye  to  their  kind  entertainers 
and  went  a  little  further  up  the  mountain  to  visit  a  con- 
vent. There  was  nothing  of  special  interest  to  see  here, 
except  the  wealth  of  flowers  growing  in  profusion  every- 
where about  the  grounds.  Old  Antonio  told  them  that 
they  were  at  liberty  to  pick  as  many  as  they  chose  ;  a 
liberty  they  all  took  full  advantage  of,  and  soon  each  one 
had  as  many  as  could  comfortably  be  carried. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  the  trip  down  the  moun- 
tain, and  the  men  with  the  hand  sleds  were  in  waiting. 
These  sleds  have  a  body  like  a  very  small  sleigh,  with  low 
runners,  so  that  the  weight  is  near  the  ground,  and  are 
capable  of  holding  two  passengers.  Each  sled  is  managed 
by  two  men,  and  behind  is  a  handle  for  them  to  hold  on 
by  and  guide  the  sled. 

The  perpendicular  descent  from  the  convent  is  full 
two  thousand  feet.  Part  of  the  way  is  narrow,  everywhere 
crooked,  and  in  places  as  steep  as  a  house-roof.  The  road 
is  paved  with  the  narrow  boulders  set  on  edge,  and  are 
slippery,  so  that  the  ride  down  is  not  unlike  a  runaway 
train  on  the  Switchback  at  Mauch  Chunk. 

It  took  some  time  to  get  the  party  seated  and  every- 
thing ready  for  the  start.  The  girls  owned  up  they  were 

47 


MADEIRA 

afraid,  and  the  boys  held  back  with  a  unanimity  that  was 
refreshing ;  even  the  Judge  considered  the  chances  very 
soberly.  One  thing  was  certain,  they  must  get  down 
some  way,  and  this  was  the  approved  method  ;  accidents 
were  of  rare  occurrence  and  they  must  take  their  chances. 
And  so  it  happened,  that  after  a  goodly  number  of  "  O 
my's!"  "O  dear's!"  and  "O,  I  am  so  afraid's!"  they  at 
length  got  started. 

But  if  they  were  slow  in  getting  started,  they  wasted 
no  time  afterwards.  Captain  Davis  and  Laura  Reed  led 
the  procession  ;  then  came  the  boys  ;  then  four  of  the 
girls;  while  Judge  McGee  and  Mamie  Belville  brought 
up  the  rear  and  were  able  to  see  wrhat  happened  to  the 
rest. 

At  first  the  grade  was  easy  and  just  rapid  enough  to 
be  exhilarating ;  the  girls  declared  it  wras  "  too  jolly  for 
anything,"  and  the  boys  fairly  shouted.  The  pace  quick- 
ened and  the  exclamations  ceased  ;  it  was  getting  to  be 
serious.  The  road  now  gave  two  or  three  quick  turns  and 
then  seemed  to  just  fall  away  from  before  them  ;  houses, 
walls,  rocks,  flashed  past  in  a  confused  maze,  and  they  felt 
they  had  left  the  earth  as  they  flew  through  the  air.  The 
speed  was  such  it  took  their  breath  away,  and  their  hearts 
stood  still,  as  with  open  mouths,  and  bulging  eyes,  they 
awaited  instant  destruction.  In  ten  minutes  they  were  in 
the  public  plaza,  nearly  scared  to  death,  while  their  sled 
men,  reeking  with  perspiration,  threw  themselves  panting 
upon  the  pavement. 

The  Ogowe  Band  could  scarcely  believe  their  senses 
when  they  found  the  journey  was  over  and  no  one  was 
hurt.  It  was  indeed  an  experience  never  to  be  forgotten, 
and  the  Judge  readily  admitted  it  was  both  novel  and 
startling. 

48 


MADEIRA 

The  sun  was  now  low  in  the  West,  and  Captain  Davis 
thought  it  \vas  time  to  be  getting  oil  board,  so  they  paid 
their  men  and  walked  down  to  the  landing.  The  boats 
that  brought  them  ashore  in  the  morning  were  waiting 
for  them,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were  once  more, 
on  board  their  floating  home. 


iv 


49 


CHAPTER  IV. 


CANARY    ISLANDS. 


'KINGS  were  in  confusion  on  the  main-deck 
of  the  Nubia  when  our  friends  came  on 
board  from  their  day  of  sight  seeing  in  Fun- 
chal.  The  coal-bunkers  had  been  filled,  and 
there  was  a  large  heap  of  coal  on  deck  be- 
sides. Several  quarters  of  fresh  beef  hung  near  the  gal- 
ley, and  two  bullocks  were  standing  on  the  forward  deck 
with  a  pile  of  hay  near  them.  There  were  bunches  of 
chickens  tied  by  the  legs,  and  baskets  filled  with  cabbage, 
lettuce,  tomatoes,  apples,  grapes,  walnuts  and  bananas ; 
there  was  a  prospect  for  something  to  eat  at  any  rate. 

On  the  saloon  deck  were  the  willow  chairs  Judge 
McGee  had  bought ;  the  baskets  had  been  stowed  in  an 
empty  state-room.  The  agent  came  off  to  the  ship  just 
after  our  friends  arrived,  and  brought  the  ship's  papers. 
When  he  had  arranged  his  business  matters  with  the  Cap- 
tain, he  bade  them  good-bye  and  wished  them  a  pleasant 
voyage.  Captain  Davis  went  on  the  "bridge,"  the  bell 
rang  in  the  engine-room  to  "stand  by,"  the  steam-wind- 
lass on  the  forecastle-head  drew  the  anchor  chain  slowly 

50 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

in,  the  engines  began  to  "head  slow,"  and  with  the  com- 
pany's flag  fluttering  at  the  main-truck,  and  the  Union 
Jack  astern,  the  Nubia  turned  slowly  toward  the  south 
and  the  voyage  was  resumed. 

After  dinner  the  Ogowe  Baud  settled  themselves 
comfortably  on  deck  in  their  new  willow  chairs,  and 
now  that  the\-  were  somewhat  rested,  they  began  to  talk 
ovei  the  events  of  the  day.  Nothing  they  had  met  with 
escaped  their  notice,  but  what  had  most  impressed  them 
was  the  ride  down  the  mountain.  To  use  their  own 
expression,  "  It  was  just  too  much  for  anything,"  and  how 
they  got  down  without  accident  was  still  to  them  a  mys- 
tery. 

While  they  were  talking,  Captain  Davis  came  from' 
the  bridge  and  took  a  seat  with  them.  Judge  McGee 
asked  him  why  he  had  such  a  heap  of  coal  on  deck. 

The  Captain  explained  that  it  was  customary  for  the 
African  boats  in  starting  to  take  on  nearly  enough  coal 
for  the  round  trip  ;  at  Madeira  as  much  is  taken  on  board 
as  has  been  burned  up  to  that  time,  and  if  the  supply 
does  not  seem  ample,  some  is  carried  on  deck  as  in  the 
present  instance. 

"Won't  there  be  danger  of  the  bullocks  being 
washed  away?"  asked  Saxe. 

"No,"  replied  the  Captain,  "we  will  have  no  more 
rough  weather ;  we  have  now  entered  the  region  of  balmy 
breezes  and  smooth  seas." 

"  How  do  you  manage  about  fresh  water?"  inquired 
Judge  McGee. 

"We  have  water  tanks  near  the  bottom  of  the  ship," 
continued  the  Captain,  "that  are  filled  in  Liverpool  and 
are  usually  sufficient  for  drinking  and  cooking;  for 
washing  we  use  condensed  water." 

51 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

"I  suppose  that  is  why  it  does  not  smell  good," 
remarked  Jessie. 

"And  it  makes  my  hands  rough,"  added  Mamie. 

"Well,  it's  not  nice  anyway,"  chimed  in  Hattie. 

The  Captain  admitted  that  condensed  water  was  in 
many  ways  unpleasant  to  use.  "But  then,"  said  he,  "if 
there  were  no  hardships  at  sea,  there  would  be  no  glory 
in  being  a  sailor." 

The  young  folks  had  no  thought  of  becoming  sail- 
ors, so  they  did  not  reply,  and  for  a  while  the  whole  party 
sat  quietly  enjoying  the  beauties  of  the  night. 

And  a  lovely  night  it  was.  The  stars  shone  brightly, 
and  the  new  moon  declining  in  the  west,  shed  a  path  of 
light  across  the  trackless  waste,  as  its  pale  beams  were 
reflected  from  the  quiet  waters.  By  and  by  one  or  two  of 
the  boys  began  to  nod  and  Judge  McGee,  rising  from  his 
chair,  expressed  the  opinion  that  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed. 

When  they  came  on  deck  next  morning  they  found 
the  sailors  at  work  putting  up  an  awning ;  it  was  stretched 
from  side  to  side  across  the  ship,  and  was  of  two  thick- 
nesses of  canvas.  This  kept  off  the  sun  which  was  now 
beginning  to  make  his  power  felt,  and  made  the  deck  a 
delightful  place  to  spend  the  da}-. 

In  the  far  distance  ahead,  a  dark  hazy  bank  on  the 
horizon  was  pointed  out  to  them.  From  the  upper 
bridge,  with  the  aid  of  a  glass,  a  dull,  dark  object  could 
be  seen  in  the  cloud ;  this  the  chief  officer  told  them  was 
the  Peak  of  Teneriffe.  They  watched  it  all  the  morning 
as  it  slowly  rose  from  the  water.  The  sun's  heat  grad- 
ually dispelled  the  vapors,  and  by  noon  its  form  could  be 
distinctly  seen. 

"What  is  the  height  of  the  Peak?"    inquired  Jessie. 

"A  little  over  two  miles,"  replied  Captain  Davis. 

52 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

"  Has  any  one  ever  climbed  to  the  top  of  it?"  asked 
Frank. 

"Yes,"  continued  the  Captain,  "but  it  is  seldom 
done,  for  it  is  very  hard  work.  For  several  hundred  feet 
below  the  summit  the  cone  is  covered  with  a  thick  layer 
of  fine  ashes." 

"Has  there  been  any  eruption  of  late  years?"  in- 
quired Laura. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "but  nothing  was  thrown  up 
except  ashes." 

Hattie  desired  to  know  how  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe 
compared  in  height  with  other  mountains. 

Judge  McGee  answered  that  it  was  higher  than  the 
Alleghanies,  Pyrenees,  or  Mt.  Etna;  but  not  so  high  as 
Mt.  Blanc. 

About  three  o'clock  the  steamer  anchored  in  the 
roadstead  of  Santa  Cruz  which  is  on  the  northeast  end  of 
the  island,  about  ten  miles  south  of  the  point.  Two 
steamers  were  in  ahead  of  them ;  the  L<eipsic  from  Bre- 
men; and  Dom  Pedro  from  Brazil. 

Santa  Cruz  is  not  over  one-third  the  size  of  Funchal. 
As  the  Nubia  was  only  calling  to  land  the  mails  and 
a  few  cases  of  goods,  our  friends  decided  not  to  go  on 
shore,  more  especially  as  the  surf  was  beating  rather 
heavily  against  the  stone  pier  where  they  must  land.  As 
the  steamer  was  anchored  close  in,  with  the  aid  of  glasses 
they  were  able  to  get  a  fair  idea  of  the  place. 

The  hills  back  of  the  town  are  not  so  steep  as  at 
Madeira,  and  appear  to  be  rather  barren,  although  they 
are  cultivated.  The  Peak  is  to  the  left  and  is  on  tli2 
opposite  side  of  the  island ;  by  this  time  in  the  afternoon 
it  was  again  veiled  in  clouds,  and  could  not  be  seen.  T> 
the  right  were  ranges  of  steep  rocky  hills  coming  down 

53 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

end  on  to  the  sea ;  they  were  cultivated  near  their  bases, 
and  covered  to  the  summits  with  some  kind  of  low,  coarse 
vegetation,  much  of  it  of  a  dull,  gray  color.  The  place 
is  by  no  means  so  attractive  as  Funchal. 

The  Judge  thought  one  might  spend  two  or  three 
days  ashore  comfortably,  as  long  as  every  sight  was  new, 
but  that  it  would  soon  become  tiresome  enough. 

"  I  wonder  if  they  have  a  daily  paper  here,"  queried 
Grant 

"No  indeed,"  responded  Captain  Davis,  "  I  doubt  if 
many  of  the  people  can  read,  or  would  care  to  do  so  if 
they  could.  This  little  island  is  their  world,  and  what 
may  happen  elsewhere  is  nothing  to  them." 

"  I  should  think  they  would  want  at  least  one  paper," 
observed  Grace,  "so  they  could  get  the  local  news." 

"Never  fear,"  responded  the  Captain,  "their  tongues 
are  quite  equal  to  that,  and  do  not  cost  anything  either." 

"Are  the  islanders  poor?"  asked  Lulu. 

"Yes,"  continued  the  Captain,  "they  have  enough  to 
eat  and  drink,  but  they  are  poor  in  income ;  there  is  not 
much  that  can  profitably  be  exported,  so  that  money  is  a 
scarce  article  among  them." 

"Well,"  observed  Mamie,  "these  people  are  welcome 
to  their  island  home,  and  I  hope  they  are  satisfied  with 
it."  The  rest  of  the  Band  quite  agreed  that  the  life  on 
Teneriffe  was  too  solitary  to  be  desirable. 

"Where  is  Oratava?"  asked  the  Judge. 

"It  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,"  answered  the 
Captain.  "  It  is  the  place  to  start  from  if  you  wish  to 
ascend  the  Peak ;  it  has  no  commerce  and  steamers  do  not 
call  there." 

Just  before  they  started  away,  several  drip-stones  were 
brought  on  board  consigned  to  various  ports  on  the 

54 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

African  coast.  These  drip-stones  are  shaped  like  a  deep 
bowl,  with  square  tops,  and  hold  two  or  three  pails  of 
water  each.  They  are  chiseled  from  blocks  of  lava,  and 
are  used  everywhere  on  the  African  coast  to  filter  water. 
For  this  purpose  they  are  admirably  adapted.  The  sides 
of  this  huge  bowl  are  three  or  four  inches  in  thickness, 
and  the  water  slowly  percolates  through  it,  leaving  every 
particle  of  sediment  behind.  Once  a  week  they  need  to 
be  rubbed  well  on  the  inside  with  a  scrubbing  brush  and 
washed  out ;  by  this  means  it  is  possible  to  have  perfectly 
pure  water. 

Next  morning,  just  as  the  sun  was  touching  the  tops 
of  the  mountains,  the  Nubia  anchored  in  the  harbor  of 
Las  Palmas,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island  of  Grand 
Canary. 

The  rattle  of  the  anchor-chain  aroused  the  young 
voyagers  from  their  slumbers,  and  they  clambered  out  of 
their  berths  in  a  hum-.  It  did  not  take  them  long  to 
dress  and  get  on  deck,  for  when  there  was  something  new 
to  be  seen,  they  were  as  nimble  as  only  young  people  can 
be.  They  found  the  steamer  in  a  small  bay,  completely 
sheltered  from  the  waves  by  a  long  breakwater  that  had 
been  built  out  from  the  shore.  Near  by  three  or  four 
steamers  and  some  small  sailing  vessels  were  at  anchor, 
while  ashore  were  coal  wharves  and  a  good  many  stone 
buildings.  Upon  looking  around  they  saw,  across  the 
bay,  a  city  larger  than  Santa  Cniz,  but  not  so  large  as 
Funchal.  Behind  the  city  were  mountains,  and  the  sun 
was  clothing  their  browrn  summits  with  a  glorious  light  of 
•crimson  and  gold.  In  some  places  palms  lined  the  beach, 
and  a  good  many  were  growing  in  the  town  and  in  the 
valleys  among  the  hills ;  indeed,  the  very  name  of  the 
town,  Las  Palmas,  means  "The  Palms." 

55 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

Boats  had  already  left  the  shore  for  the  Nubia  and 
were  soon  alongside.  Captain  Davis  came  out  of  the 
chart  room  and  bade  them  a  hearty  "good  morning,  young 
ladies  and  gents."  It  was  not  long  before  Judge  McGee 
joined  them.  He  too  had  been  awakened  by  the  splash  of 
the  anchor,  but  he  was  not  in  so  much  of  a  hurry  as  the 
youngsters  were ;  no  doubt  realizing  more  fully  than  they,, 
that  there  is  always  sufficient  time  for  all  we  have  to  do. 
He  asked  Captain  Davis  how  long  he  would  remain  and  was 
told  that  they  would  not  sail  before  five  o'clock. 

"Now,"  said  the  Judge,  "we  were  your  guests  at 
Madeira  and  I  propose  that  you  be  our  guest  to-day.  How 
soon  will  it  suit  you  to  go  ashore?" 

Captain  Davis  replied  that  he  would  be  read}-  shortly 
after  seven  o'clock. 

Boats  came  off  to  the  steamer  as  at  Madeira,  bringing 
various  articles  for  sale,  much  of  which  was  merely  trash ; 
and  guides  and  runners  for  various  places  solicited  patron- 
age. Judge  McGee  inquired  of  the  steamship  agent  for 
the  best  hotel  in  town  and  the  runner  for  that  house  was 
introduced  to  him. 

Having  made  the  necessary  arrangements  with  him,, 
all  hands  went  below  to  get  a  cup  of  coffee  and  get  ready 
for  the  day's  excursion.  At  half-past  seven  they  were 
going  down  the  ladder,  and  a  couple  of  boats  soon  carried 
them  over  to  the  pier.  Here  carriages  were  waiting  and 
they  drove  through  the  port,  past  the  coal-yards,  and  then 
along  the  beautiful  road  that  skirts  the  bay  until  they 
entered  the  city  of  Las  Palmas. 

As  it  wras  still  early  they  drove  about  the  town  before 
going  to  the  hotel  for  breakfast.  Las  Palmas  they  found 
to  be  a  more  modern  city  than  Funchal,  and  on  that 
account,  less  picturesque.  There  were  no  bullock-sleds^ 

56 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

and  some  horses  were  seen,  mostly  attached  to  carriages ; 
merchandise,  so  far  as  our  young  travelers  were  able  to 
discover,  was  carried  about  on  the  heads  of  men  and 
women.  Stores  and  shops  were  abundant  and  displayed 
a  good  assortment  of  wares.  Ladies  were  out  marketing, 
with  shawls  thrown  over  the  head  and  shoulders  so  as  to 
conceal  the  face,  excepting  a  little  patch  about  one  eye. 
The  women  in  humble  life  moved  about  freely  with 
uncovered  faces. 

It  was  half-past  eight  when  they  alighted  at  the  hotel, 
and  they  were  ready  to  do  ample  justice  to  the  breakfast 
that  was  waiting  for  them.  At  the  table  they  met  Captain 
Charles  Thompson,  master  of  the  steamer  Kisanga,  home- 
ward bound  from  the  coast  of  Africa.  His  steamer  had 
come  in  during  the  night,  and  as  it  was  to  take  on  coal 
and  water,  as  well  as  cochineal  and  bananas,  it  would  not 
sail  before  evening.  He  brought  the  latest  news  from  the 
"  Coast,"  as  this  part  of  the  Dark  Continent  is  always 
called ;  but  as  it  was  mostly  of  a  personal  nature,  our 
young  travelers  were  not  much  interested  in  it.  To  the 
Ogowe  Band  it  appeared  to  consist  mostly  of  fevers,  deaths, 
and  "went  home"  on  such  and  such  a  steamer.  They 
were  somewhat  relieved  to  hear  that  the  "Coast"  was 
healthy  at  present;  that  is,  there  was  nowhere  any 
epidemic.  When  old  coasters  return  to  the  shores  of 
Africa  with  somewhat  of  dread,  those  who  are  making 
their  first  voyage  may  be  excused  for  being  a  little 
nervous. 

Captain  Thompson  appeared  to  be  a  most  pleasant 
and  agreeable  gentleman,  and  Judge  McGee  invited  him 
to  join  the  party  in  an  excursion  among  the  mountains. 
To  this  the  Captain  gave  his  consent,  and  he  proved  to  be 
in  every  way  a  delightful  companion.  He  had  a  houseful 

57 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

of  young  people  at  home,  and  lie  knew  just  how  to 
interest  and  amuse  the  young  folks. 

After  breakfast  they  adjourned  to  the  court  of  the 
hotel,  opening  out  upon  the  garden,  and  a  merrier  party 
was  never  seen  at  Las  Palmas.  The  two  Captains  told  of 
their  early  adventures  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  and 
the  boys  began  to  wish  it  had  fallen  to  their  lot  to  be 
sailors  too.  Both  gentlemen  had  sailed  to  almost  every 
part  of  the  earth,  and  one  of  them  had  lived  nearly  a  year 
in  America.  Conversation  flowyed  on  in  a  steady  stream, 
and  in  the  meanwhile  Judge  McGee  went  with  the  hotel 
proprietor  to  make  arrangements  for  the  coming  excur- 
sion. In  half  an  hour  he  returned  and  reported  that  all 
was  ready. 

Five  open  carriages,  each  drawn  by  three  horses 
harnessed  abreast,  were  in  waiting  in  the  street.  The 
Judge  assisted  Lulu  Wright  and  Grace  Thompson  into  the 
first  one,  and  then  got  in  himself ;  upon  the  seat  with  the 
driver  was  the  son  of  the  hotel  proprietor  in  the  capacity 
of  guide  and  interpreter.  Captain  Davis,  Jessie  Williams 
and  Laura  Reed  occupied  the  second  carriage ;  Captain 
Thompson,  Mamie  Belville  and  Hattie  Clark,  the  third  ; 
while  the  boys  followed  in  the  two  remaining  ones. 

When  all  were  embarked,  the  drivers  whipped  up  their 
horses  and  the  procession  rattled  along  at  a  lively  rate. 
They  passed  the  public  square  and  through  several  of  the 
principal  streets,  crossed  a  small  river,  now  nearly  dry, 
and  were  presently  upon  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  The 
road,  which  was  macadamized,  was  in  splendid  order,  and 
followed  the  little  stream  as  it  flowed  down  its  rocky  bed 
in  the  narrow  valley.  Terraced  gardens  were  built  against 
the  steep  hillside,  and  these  were  planted  with  pine-apples, 
bananas,  figs,  oranges,  lemons  and  grapes,  as  well  as  with 

58 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

u-  kinds  of  garden  vegetables  and  flowers.  A  little 
further  on  the  valley  widened  and  there  were  many  small 
fields  of  bananas  with  palm  trees  growing  close  by  the 
river  banks.  The  bananas  were  of  the  short  variety,  with 
many  dark  leaves,  but  they  bore  enormous  bunches  of 
fruit,  and  the  young  tourists  thought  it  would  be  nice  to 
have  a  few  of  them  growing  in  the  back  yards  of  their 
homes  in  Philadelphia.  The  date  palms  filled  them  with 
wonder  and  admiration.  Here,  right  before  their  eyes, 
were  the  trees  they  had  read  of  in  the  Bible.  It  was  just 
such  trees  as  these  that  grew  in  Egypt,  in  the  desert,  and 
in  the  Jordan  Valley. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  a  palm  tree,  when  one 
stands  close  by  it,  is  not  a  specially  beautiful  object;  but 
when  seen  at  a  little  distance,  so  that  some  of  the  details 
are  lost  in  the  general  outline,  it  is  one  of  the  most  grace- 
ful and  striking  objects  in  the  vegetable  kingdom.  When 
one  who  has  spent  some  years  in  the  tropics  returns  to  his 
northern  home,  after  all  else  is  forgotten,  the  graceful 
palm  waving  its  feathery  arms  in  the  brilliant  sunlight, 
will  be  constantly  before  the  mind,  its  enchanting  beauty 
luring  him  to  return. 

The  road  again  crossed  the  stream  and  began  to 
ascend  the  mountain  side.  The  sun  was  hot,  but  the 
pure  fresh  air  from  the  ocean  tempered  the  heat  and  made 
the  ride  most  enjoyable.  The  steeper  hillsides  were  bare 
of  vegetation  excepting  a  few  coarse  shrubs,  but  the 
gentler  slopes  had  been  terraced  and  planted  with  various 
crops.  In  many  places  the  cliffs  had  been  tunneled  and 
houses  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock.  These  usually  had  a 
door  and  one  or  two  windows  next  the  road ;  how  many 
rooms  there  might  be  in  the  cave  dwellings  our  young 
friends  could  not  tell.  Provided  the  cliff  faced  the  north, 

59 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

one  might  readily  imagine  these  houses  to  be  cool  and 
comfortable  in  a  hot  climate. 

Upon  the  roofs  of  some  of  the  houses  in  the  valley 
below  them,  were  large  bunches  of  some  material  of  a 
deep  orange  color,  evidently  spread  out  to  dry.  None  of 
the  party  could  imagine  what  it  was,  but  the  guide  told 
those  in  the  first  carriage  it  was  Indian  corn.  "  In  this 
island,"  said  he,  "but  little  grain  of  any  kind  is  raised, 
and  the  people  value  this  corn  very  highly  for  feeding  to 
their  animals." 

Judge  McGee  asked  why  they  did  not  raise  bananas, 
sell  them,  and  buy  corn  with  the  money,  as  in  this  way 
they  could  get  fully  ten  times  as  much  from  the  ground. 

The  guide  replied  that  he  could  not  tell,  but  perhaps 
it  was  because  ships  seldom  came  over  from  America. 

They  were  now  approaching  the  summit;  to  their 
surprise  the  character  of  the  soil  improved,  and  it  was 
everywhere  carefully  cultivated.  The  road  was  no  longer 
steep  and  the  increasing  number  of  houses  indicated  a  con- 
siderable population.  To  the  amazement  of  the  party,, 
here  upon  the  mountain  heights  a  little  stream  went 
dashing  along  the  road,  singing  merrily  as  it  leaped  by  in 
the  bright  sunlight  It  was  a  useful  little  stream  too.  A 
channel  had  been  cut  for  it  in  the  solid  rock,  and  here, 
standing  up  to  their  knees  in  the  rushing  water,  were  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  the  mountaineers  washing  their 
own  clothes  and  those  of  the  town  people. 

Jolly,  merry  groups  they  were,  laughing  and  talking 
as  they  soaped  the  clothes  and  pounded  them  down  upon 
the  stones.  In  many  cases  the  children  were  with  them ;. 
those  who  were  old  enough  had  to  help  with  the  work  as 
they  were  able,  while  the  babies  lay  kicking  up  their 
heels  in  the  shade  of  a  bush  or  tree.  They  eyed  the  pro- 

60 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

cession  curiously  as  it  passed,  and  no  doubt  wondered 
where  all  these  fine  people  came  from,  and  what  brought 
them  to  their  island  home. 

The  girls  were  astonished  at  the  way  the  clothes 
were  pounded  on  the  rocks  and  thought  they  would  be 
hammered  all  to  pieces.  Hattie  asked  Captain  Thomp- 
son if  they  had  no  wash-boards.  He  replied  that  this 
was  the  common  way  of  washing  clothes  in  many  parts 
•of  the  world,  and  that  it  did  not  wear  out  clothes  faster 
than  our  fashion  of  rubbing  them,  provided  a  little  care 
was  used,  and  the  stone  was  perfectly  smooth.  "  In  some 
countries  I  have  visited,"  said  he,  "they  beat  the  clothes 
with  a  club  or  mallet;  this  injures  them  far  more." 

The  top  of  the  mountain  was  a  broad  table-land,  and 
the  road  was  nearly  level,  so  they  rattled  away  at  a  good 
pace.  There  were  vineyards  on  either  side  of  the  road, 
and  occasionally  a  grove  of  fig  trees.  The  vintage  was 
past,  but  a  few  late  clusters  had  been  left  oil  the  vines, 
and  now  hung  ripening  in  the  autumn  sun.  The  harvest 
for  figs  had  of  course  long  since  passed,  although  plenty 
were  still  to  be  found  in  the  markets.  Several  fields  of 
thick-leaved  cacti  were  seen ;  women  were  at  wrork  in  the 
fields,  and  as  nearly  as  the  Ogowe  Band  could  make  out, 
they  were  cutting  oft  the  broad,  heavy  leaves  and  laying 
them  in  the  sun  to  wilt.  The  guide  told  Judge  McGee 
that  the  women  were  feeding  the  cochineal  insects.  When 
the  cochineal  was  ready  for  shipment  it  was  worth  two 
dollars  a  pound,  and  was  sent  mostly  to  the  continent 
where  it  was  used  to  color  candies.  "  It  is  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,"  said  he,  "and  not  much  of  it  is  raised." 

On  the  very  top  of  the  mountain  was  a  village  and 
here  the  carriages  stopped  while  the  horses  were  watered 
and  recovered  their  wind  a  little.  Beyond  the  village  the 

61 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

road  declined  some  and  then  gradually  ascended  to  the 
next  summit.  The  table-land  in  the  interior  of  the  island 
was  more  pleasing  than  the  hillsides  toward  the  coast. 
The  land  was  all  carefully  cultivated  and  presented 
many  charming  scenes  of  rural  beauty.  The  number 
of  cave  dwellings  increased  and  in  some  places  the 
hillsides  appeared  to  be  honeycombed  with  these  primi- 
tive houses. 

The  procession  came  to  a  halt  before  a  large  iron 
gateway  which  opened  into  the  grounds  surrounding  a 
fine  country  home.  The  guide  wished  to  show  them  the 
flowers  and  fruit  trees.  The  family  were  not  at  home,  so 
they  were  not  annoyed  by  such  a  host  of  visitors.  Sev- 
eral fine  orange  trees  attracted  attention ;  they  were  not 
much  larger  than  good  sized  peach  trees,  but  the  limbs 
did  not  branch  so  near  the  ground,  and  the  tops  were 
much  thicker.  The  leaves  were  very  dark  green,  and  as 
some  of  the  fruit  was  coloring,  the  contrast  was  a  pretty 
one. 

Willie  inquired  if  these  were  the  apples  of  gold, 
spoken  of  in  the  Bible,  and  Judge  McGee  replied  that  he 
thought  they  were. 

A  red-tailed  parrot  in  a  large  cage  near  the  house 
was  a  great  attraction  to  the  girls.  It  talked  just  like  a 
person,  but  as  it  only  spoke  Spanish  our  friends  could  not 
make  out  what  it  said. 

While  the  girls  were  engaged  with  the  parrot,  the 
boys  were  looking  at  some  tame  rabbits.  They  were  just 
as  pretty  as  they  could  be  and  held  up  their  ears  in  a  very 
knowing  way.  After  visiting  the  garden  and  gathering 
all  the  flowers  they  cared  to  carry,  the  Judge  gave  the 
gardener  a  couple  of  shillings,  and  some  sixpences  to  his 
children,  and  then  the  party  resumed  their  ride. 

62 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

After  crossing-  another  ridge  they  descended  into  a 
broad  valley,  and  here,  beneath  the  shade  of  some  low 
trees,  with  a  little  mountain  brook  just  across  the  road, 
the  Judge  called  a  halt  and  inv ited  them  all  to  alight  and 
have  a  picnic.  The  rest  of  the  party  wondered  where  he 
would  get  his  provisions,  but  at  a  word  from  him,  the 
guide  removed  the  seat  from  the  first  carriage,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  the  driver,  drew  forth  a  large,  well-filled  hamper. 

Exclamations  of  surprise  were  followed  by  commen- 
dations of  the  Judge's  thoughtful  ness,  and  the  girls  went 
to  work  at  once  to  "set  the  table."  They  made  the  boys 
stir  around  lively  and  help  them,  and  they  were  soon  as 
busy  as  possible.  And  yet,  with  all  their  activity,  it  was 
not  so  easy.  There  was  no  grass,  and  when  it  comes  to 
"setting  the  table"  on  a  lot  of  stones,  it  is  not  so  readily 
accomplished  as  one  might  wish.  Captain  Thompson, 
who  was  skillful  in  every  emergency,  came  to  their  assist- 
ance, so  that  at  last  all  was  ready  and  they  sat  down. 

The  carriages  had  been  sent  to  a  little  village  not  far 
ahead,  where  the  horses  could  eat  and  rest ;  thus  leaving- 
them  more  to  themselves.  The  fresh  air,  and  excitement 
of  the  ride,  had  given  them  an  appetite,  and  they  gave 
undivided  attention  to  the  good  things  Judge  McGee  had 
provided.  By  and  by  they  began  to  look  about  them  and 
note  in  detail  the  features  of  the  novel  landscape  spread 
out  before  them.  "The  style  of  building  in  this  part  of 
the  island,"  said  he,  "reminds  me  strongly  of  Syria." 

"Yes,"  responded  Captain  Thompson,  " one  might 
readily  imagine  he  was  in  one  of  the  ports  of  Asia 
Minor." 

"I  have  read,"  said  Laura,  "  that  some  of  the  cities 
of  Arabia  are  cut  out  of  the  rock ;  are  the  houses  in 
those  cities  anything  like  these?" 

63 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

"Yes,"  answered  the  Judge,  "but  very  much  more 
elaborate.  They  had  temples,  palaces  and  other  public 
buildings,  while  these  are  only  private  dwellings,  and  very 
humble  ones  at  that." 

Jessie  desired  to  know  what  the  Bible  meant  to  teach 
when  it  said,  "The  righteous  shall  flourish  like  the  palm 
tree." 

"I  suppose  it  means,"  replied  the  Judge,  "they  shall 
grow  in  beauty  and  usefulness." 

"Why  does  it  say  they  shall  bring  forth  fruit  in  old 
age?"  asked  Robbie. 

"The  palm,"  continued  he,  "bears  its  heaviest  crops 
when  old.  It  does  not  begin  to  bear  until  it  is  some  size, 
and  then  the  bunches  of  fruit  are  small  and  poor,  but  as 
it  grows  older  it  yields  better  fruit  and  larger  bunches. 
So  a  Christian  is  not  expected  to  bear  fruit  at  once ;  it  is 
enough  for  him  to  live  and  grow ;  but  when  he  gets  old, 
if  he  has  'been  planted  in  the  house  of  the  Lord'  he 
should  bring  forth  abundant  fruit." 

Grace  thanked  the  Judge  for  his  explanation  and  said 
it  was  so  much  easier  to  understand  when  the  tree  stood 
right  before  them. 

"I  think,"  remarked  Willie,  addressing  Captain 
Thompson,  "I  heard  you  say  at  the  hotel  you  were  going 
to  take  on  board  a  cargo  of  bananas." 

"  Yes,"  responded  the  Captain,  "  I  will  take  on  a  deck 
load.  I  am  full  of  palm  oil  and  other  African  produce, 
but  I  will  call  at  Havre,  and  so  will  carry  as  many 
bananas  as  the  deck  will  hold." 

"I  should  think  they  would  be  washed  away,"  said 
Johnny. 

"Each  bunch,"  continued  the  Captain,  "is  carefully 
put  up  in  a  long  narrow  basket,  well  stuffed  with  the 

64 


DATE   PALM,   GRAND  CANARY 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

dried  leaves,  and  a  canvas  cover  sewed  over  the  end, 
through  the  centre  of  which  the  stem  protrudes.  Packed 
in  this  way  they  will  bear  pretty  rough  treatment  with- 
out injury." 

"How  much  do  they  bring?"  asked  Frank. 

"They  will  average,"  replied  the  Captain,  "at  least  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter  a  bunch.  We  get  twenty-five  cents 
for  freight;  another  twenty- five  may  be  set  down  for  the 
cost  of  the  basket,  packing,  and  commission ;  leaving 
seventy-five  cents  to  be  divided  between  the  shipper  and 
the  grower." 

Grant  desired  to  know  how  long  it  took  them  to 
grow. 

The  Captain  did  not  know  exactly,  but  he  thought 
it  was  somewhat  more  than  a  year. 

Lulu  inquired  whether  there  were  any  wild  canary 
birds  on  the  island. 

The  guide  said  there  were,  but  he  thought  not  very 
many.  "When  the  island  was  discovered,"  said  he,  "it 
was  covered  with  trees  and  bushes,  and  there  were  many 
canaries ;  but  now  the  trees  are  cut  down  and  the  ground 
cultivated,  so  there  are  few  places  for  them  to  hide.  Those 
that  are  offered  for  sale  in  the  shops  are  raised  in  captivity, 
which  is  easier  and  cheaper  than  to  try  and  catch  wild 
ones." 

The  carriages  now  returned  from  the  village  and  were 
followed  by  a  number  of  brown-faced  children  who  doubt- 
less wanted  to  have  a  look  at  the  strangers.  They  were 
too  timid  to  come  very  near,  but  stopped  a  little  distance 
down  the  road  and  gazed  with  undisguised  admiration  at 
the  young  tourists,  perhaps  wondering  if  that  were  the 
sort  of  people  who  lived  in  the  lands  beyond  the  sea. 
However,  it  is  quite  as  likely  they  did  not  think  anything, 

v  65     • 


CANARY  ISLANDS 

for  in  this  priest-ridden  country  the  common  people  are 
kept  as  ignorant  as  the  dumb  beasts  who  share  their 
labors. 

Two  women  came  with  the  children,  each  bringing 
a  bunch  of  fresh  dates.  The  Judge  sent  the  guide  to  buy 
them  and  then  distributed  the  fruit  among  the  part}'. 
They  were  sweet  and  good,  but  did  not  taste  very  different 
irom  the  dried  ones  at  home. 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  sorry  to  leave  their  camping- 
place  ;  it  was  so  pleasant,  and  the  little  brook,  singing 
merrily  as  it  hurried  on  its  way,  had  quite  won  their 
hearts ;  but  the  sun  was  turning  to\vard  the  west,  and 
both  Captains  were  anxious  to  get  back  to  their  ships. 
The  horses  were  refreshed  by  their  dinner  and  willing  to 
make  good  speed  homewards,  and  by  four  o'clock  they 
were  rattling  through  the  streets  of  Las  Palmas,  and  soon 
drew  up  in  front  of  the  hotel.  Here  they  had  a  cup  of 
coffee  while  they  rested  a  little,  and  then  walked  down  to> 
the  boat-landing,  for  Captain  Thompson  had  left  word  for 
his  steam-launch  to  meet  him  there  with  his  boat  in  tow> 
at  five  o'clock.  The  boat  would  not  hold  so  large  a  number, 
but  by  transferring  the  boys  to  the  launch,  and  steaming 
slowly,  they  went  along  nicely  enough. 

Captain  Thompson  left  his  friends  at  the  Nubia,  and 
after  expressing  his  thanks  for  the  pleasant  day  he  had 
spent,  and  wishing  them  a  hearty  "bon  voyage,"  he  went 
over  to  his  own  ship. 


66 


CHAPTER  V. 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING. 


¥HE   Nubia  sailed   from   the   harbor   of  Las 
Palmas  a  few  minutes  before  sundown.     As 
they  passed  the  Kisanga  she  was  just  heav- 
ing anchor,  and  she  followed  close  behind 
them.    Captain  Thompson  was  on  the  bridge 
and  he  waved  his  hand  at  the  young  voyagers  as  they 
passed.     The  two  steamers  kept  near  each  other  until  they 
reached  the  Point,  when  the  Nubia  turned  to  the  right 
down  the  eastern  shore  of  the  island,  and  the  Kisanga 
headed  for  Cape  Finisterre  on  the  Spanish  coast. 

The  Ogowe  Band  had  enjoyed  a  full  day,  and  were 
quite  disposed  to  act  upon  the  Captain's  suggestion  to  go 
to  bed  early.  During  the  night  the  island  was  lost  sight 
of,  and  next  morning  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  sky  and 
water.  The  ship  was  steaming  nearly  parallel  with  the 
Great  Desert  and  was  heading  for  Cape  Blanco. 

The  young  voyagers  were  up  early,  and  after  a  good 
romp  and  a  hearty  breakfast,  they  settled  down  in  their 
comfortable  chairs  beneath  the  awning  and  talked  of  the 
great  sandy  desert  along  which  they  were  sailing. 

67 


TROPICAL,  VOYAGING 

"  Is  it  all  nothing  but  sand?  "  asked  Hattie. 

"No,"  answered  the  Judge,  "some  portions  of  it  are 
fertile,  and  again  other  portions  are  stony,  and  there  are 
many  hills." 

"What  is  such  a  great  barren  waste  good  for?" 
inquired  Mamie. 

"It  must  be  admitted,"  replied  the  Judge,  "that  it  is 
not  very  valuable,  and  yet  it  is  made  to  serve  some  useful 
purposes.  Quite  a  good  many  people  live  there ;  it  is  a 
great  natural  stove  warming  the  Mediterranean  and  the 
Southern  coast  of  Europe,  and  it  serves  as  a  Northern 
rampart  to  protect  the  great  negro  nations  who  live  in  the 
central  portion  of  the  African  continent." 

Laura  desired  to  know  what  the  Judge  meant  by  his 
last  remark,  and  so  he  continued:  "If  you  will  take  a 
map  of  Africa  and  look  at  it  carefully,  you  will  see  that 
God  has  hedged  in  the  negro  nations  in  a  way  truly 
wonderful.  On  the  north  is  the  Great  Desert,  on  the 
northeast  the  Nubian  Desert,  and  on  the  south  the  Kalahari 
Desert.  Both  the  east  and  west  coasts  are  devoid  of  good 
harbors,  the  rivers  empty  by  deltas  that  are  not  easily 
found,  and  the  climate  is  so  unhealthy  that  no  colonies 
can  be  successful.  Such  a  combination  of  circumstances 
cannot  be  found  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  Design  is 
plainly  evident  in  all  this,  and  God  undoubtedly  has  an 
interesting  and  important  future  in  store  for  the  black 
race." 

"What  do  you  think  this  future  may  be?"  asked 
Robbie. 

"I  do  not  know,"  was  the  reply,  "but  I  think  it 
means  at  least  the  preservation  of  the  race.  In  America, 
all  portions  of  which  are  reasonably  healthy,  the  native 
races  are  melting  away  before  the  advance  of  the  Caucasian, 

68 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

but  unless  climatic  conditions  change,  the  negro  will 
remain  to  the  end  of  time." 

The  Captain  now  joined  the  party  and  Grace  told 
him  they  were  talking  about  the  desert. 

"Were  you  ever  there?"  inquired  Jessie. 

"Some  few  years  ago,"  said  he,  "I  called  at  a  place 
nearly  opposite  to  where  we  are  now,  to  land  some  cargo, 
mostly  provisions  and  other  supplies.  A  French  company 
were  trying  to  cut  a  channel  through  the  sand  so  as  to  let 
the  sea  flow  into  the  desert  and  fill  it  up." 

The  Band  gave  an  exclamation  of  surprise.  "Fill 
up  the  desert  with  water !  Now  that's  an  idea,"  laughed 
Lulu. 

The  Judge  said  he  had  heard  something  of  this 
before,  and  requested  the  Captain  to  tell  them  what  he 
knew  of  the  enterprise. 

"Well,"  was  the  reply,  "you  know  of  course  that  a 
portion  of  the  desert  is  below  the  sea-level,  indeed  much 
of  it  was  once  an  inland  sea.  This  sea,  like  the  Mediter- 
ranean, was  connected  with  the  Atlantic  by  a  narrow 
strait.  The  surf  on  this  part  of  the  coast  is  very  heavy, 
and  in  course  of  ages  this  strait  was  gradually  filled  with 
sand ;  when  it  was  entirely  closed,  the  water  that  was  left 
in  this  sea  was  evaporated  and  became  the  sandy  waste  we 
now  find  there." 

"When  did  this  take  place?"  inquired  Frank. 

"  Since  the  Christian  era,"  was  the  reply,  "  for  there 
are  records  to  show  that  in  the  time  of  Constantine  there 
were  lakes  or  reedy  marshes  in  the  southwestern  por- 
tion." 

"Only  think,"  exclaimed  Hattie,  "if  the  canal  were 
finished,  we  might  pass  through  and  sail  direct  to 
Timbuctoo ! " 

69 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

The  Band  thought  that  would  be  just  jolly,  but  the 
Captain  told  them  he  thought  they  would  have  to  wait 
awhile,  as  the  enterprise  wasabandoned  and  not  likely  soon 
to  be  resumed.  He  then  explained  to  them  that  the  work 
was  a  very  expensive  one  and  not  likely  to  bring  large 
returns,  as  the  traffic  passing  through  would  not  be  great, 
at  least  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

While  they  were  talking,  there  was  a  flash  of  light 
through  the  air  that  made  them  start,  and  a  bright  object 
fell  at  their  feet.  It  was  a  fine  plump  fish  about  ten  inches 
long.  The  large  pectoral  fins  spreading  out  on  each  side 
like  wings,  showed  the  new-comer  to  be  a  flying-fish. 

The  young  voyagers  were  delighted ;  they  examined 
the  fish  carefulh',  and  were  greatly  pleased  with  its  silvery 
appearance. 

"  It  looks  like  our  Delaware  river  rock-fish,"  exclaimed 
Johnny. 

"  It  is  lighter  colored  than  a  rock-fish  ;  see,  it  has  no 
stripes  on  the  side,"  replied  Saxe. 

The  Purser,  who  had  just  come  up  stairs,  joined  the 
party,  and  informed  them  that  it  closely  resembled  the 
African  mullet. 

The  Captain  told  them  that  flying-fish  often  came  on 
board  at  night,  being  attracted  probably  by  the  headlight ; 
but  that  many  more  came  on  board  sailing-ships  than  on 
steamers,  perhaps  because  sailing-ships  traveled  more 
slowly  and  quietly. 

"Would  he  be  good  to  eat?"  asked  Hattie. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  Captain,  "they  are  excellent 
eating,  and  you  shall  have  this  one  for  breakfast  to-mor- 
row. He  then  blew  his  pocket  whistle  as  a  signal  to  the 
quartermaster  who  was  working  about  the  saloon-deck. 
The  man  promptly  responded  with  a  respectful  "  Aye,  Sir," 

70 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

at  the  same  time  tipping  his  cap,  and  Captain  Davis  told 
him  to  give  the  fish  to  the  steward  with  instructions  to 
liave  it  nicely  cooked  for  the  young  ladies'  breakfast. 

The  girls  wanted  to  know  more  about  these  wonder- 
ful fish.  The  Captain  told  them  they  were  everywhere 
plentiful  in  the  warmer  regions  of  the  earth. 

"Why  do  they  fly?"  inquired  Jessie. 

"  To  get  away  from  their  enemies,"  was  the  reply. 
*'  When  they  are  chased  by  larger  fish,  they  leap  from  the 
water  to  escape  pursuit." 

Laura  asked  whether  in  flying  they  flap  their  wings 
like  birds,  or  only  sustain  themselves  in  the  air  by  the 
impetus  of  their  leap. 

The  Captain  said  he  could  not  tell ;  he  had  never 
seen  any  motion  to  their  wings,  but  as  these  were  nearly 
transparent,  especially  when  wet,  it  was  a  hard  matter  to 
determine  whether  they  moved  them  or  not. 

The  conversation  now  turned  upon  fishes  and  fishing, 
a  subject  in  which  both  boys  and  girls  took  a  deep  interest 
The  Purser  told  them  there  was  a  species  of  fish  that  had 
a  soft  flat  head  of  such  a  nature  that  it  could,  and  did, 
attach  itself  to  the  sides  of  ships  and  thus  be  carried  along 
with  the  vessel  without  any  effort  of  its  own.  "  These  fish," 
said  he,  "  will  attach  themselves  to  the  bottom  of  a  steamer 
and  hold  on  there  until  something  is  thrown  overboard, 
"when  they  will  go  and  eat  what  they  can  of  it,  and  then 
come  back  to  the  ship  again.  In  this  way  they  can  make  a 
long  voyage  with  us." 

" Come  now,  what  are  you  giving  us?"  exclaimed 
Willie. 

"We  may  be  young,"  observed  Grant,  "but  we  want 
a  better  bait  than  that  on  the  hook  before*  we  bite." 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

The  Purser  asked  to  be  excused  a  moment,  and  he 
soon  returned  with  a  large  handful  of  breadcrusts  from 
the  pantry.  After  looking  intently  over  the  side,  he 
called  the  young  folks  to  come  and  look  too.  "There," 
said  he,  pointing  down  in  the  water,  "do  you  see  that 
fish?"  Some  of  them  saw  a  break  in  the  water  close  to 
the  ship's  side,  and  a  few  feet  below  the  surface ;  but  most 
of  them  could  distinguish  nothing  owing  to  the  waves. 
"Now,"  continued  the  Purser,  "you  watch  closely  while 
I  throw  some  bread  in  the  water."  He  went  forward  a 
little  and  then  threw  half  of  the  bread  overboard ;  as  it 
struck  the  water  a  large  fish,  perhaps  three  feet  long> 
darted  from  the  ship's  side  and  swam  for  the  bread. 

Exclamations  of  surprise  burst  from  a  dozen  young 
throats,  and  even  the  Judge  was  somewhat  taken  back. 
Presently  the  Purser  threw  the  rest  of  the  bread,  and  this 
time  two  fish  were  plainly  seen  to  swim  for  it. 

After  this  lesson  the  Ogowe  Band  were  less  skeptical, 
and  the  Captain  tried  his  hand  at  a  fish  story.  "  There  is," 
said  he,  "in  the  beautiful  bay  of  Loanda,  in  the  province 
of  Angola,  a  fish  that  is  certainly  remarkable.  This  fish 
grows  to  a  length  of  several  feet,  and  it  has  a  habit  of 
coming  beneath  vessels  that  are  at  anchor  and  making  a 
doleful  noise,  as  of  a  man  in  great  pain.  Oftentimes  the 
crews  of  sailing-ships  are  not  able  to  sleep  for  these  noises, 
and  must  get  up  in  the  night  and  splash  on  the  water  to 
drive  them  away." 

"Do  you  tell  that  for  a  fact?"  queried  the  Judge. 

"Yes  sir,"  replied  the  Captain,  "it  is  a  fact."  The 
sailors  say  the  fish  put  their  backs  against  the  vessel  when 
they  make  these  noises,  but  how  that  is  I  cannot  say." 

"Do  sharks  ever  come  near  the  steamers?"  inquired 
Grace. 


72 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

"Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  "the  water  is  full  of  them." 

"O  my!"  exclaimed  Mamie,  "to  think  that  we  are 
surrounded  by  sharks!" 

"  Well,"  responded  the  Captain,  "  they  won't  hurt  you 
as  long  as  you  stay  on  board  the  ship." 

Frank  desired  to  know  if  sharks  really  could  tell 
when  there  was  a  dead  body  on  a  ship. 

"I  cannot  say,"  answered  the  Captain,  "but  it  seems 
to  be  at  least  probable.  They  do  seem  to  know  if  there 
is  a  serious  case  of  sickness  on  board.  I  have  known  a 
shark  to  follow  a  ship  for  days  when  a  man  has  been  sick. 
Sailors  bear  a  shark  no  good  will,  perhaps  as  much  for 
this  reason  as  any  other." 

"Are  sharks  good  to  eat?"  asked  Saxe. 

"  Not  very,"  responded  the  Captain,  "  the  meat  is  dry 
and  coarse,  and  not  of  good  flavor.  I  have  eaten  a  young 
shark  that  tasted  pretty  fairly,  but  perhaps  it  was  because 
we  had  been  eating  salt  meat  for  a  long  time." 

"I  have  heard  that  sharks  will  swallow  almost  any- 
thing," observed  the  Judge. 

" Indeed  they  can,"  said  the  Purser.  "I  remember 
I  was  once  in  the  West  Indies  when  a  shark  was  washed 
up  dead  on  the  beach.  He  was  an  enormous  fellow,  full 
eighteen  feet  long.  Such  an  occurrence  is  very  rare,  and 
the  natives  naturally  flocked  to  the  shore  to  see  it.  They 
examined  it  carefully,  and  there  was  much  speculation  as 
to  how  it  came  to  its  death,  for  there  were  no  marks  of 
violence  upon  it.  Presently  one  of  the  more  thoughtful 
ones  opened  its  mouth,  which  was  as  large  as  a  trap-door, 
and  looked  in.  To  his  surprise  he  saw  a  half-barrel  full 
of  fish ;  a  careful  examination  led  them  to  conclude  that 
an  empty  half-barrel,  with  one  head  out,  must  have  been 
floating  on  the  water.  The  shark  no  doubt  supposing  this 

73 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

was  a  inau  or  some  other  dainty  morsel,  swallowed  it,  and 
was  unable  to  spit  it  out  again.  The  open  end  of  the 
half-barrel  being  up,  after  that  all  the  fish  he  caught  went 
into  the  half-barrel,  and  he  starved  to  death." 

The  Judge  thought  he  detected  a  certain  air  of  im- 
probability running  through  the  story,  but  he  said  noth- 
ing, and  just  then  the  bell  rang  for  lunch,  which  put  an 
end  to  story  telling. 

When  they  came  011  deck  again  a  large  school  of 
porpoises  were  coming  near  the  steamer.  They  were  a 
little  distance  ahead,  and  they  were  coming  so  as  to  cross 
the  steamer's  track.  There  were  a  great  many  of  them, 
apparently  several  hundreds,  and  they  were  constantly 
leaping  in  the  air  as  they  hurried  forward. 

The  Ogowe  Band  wrere  delighted,  and  quite  excited 
too,  for  the  sight  of  so  many  wild  creatures  leaping  in  the 
air,  and  so  near  to  them,  was  calculated  to  warm  older 
blood  than  theirs.  It  was  not  long  before  the  steamer  was 
close  up  to  them.  They  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  afraid 
of  the  vessel,  for  some  dived  under  it,  while  others  swam 
right  alongside,  not  six  feet  away,  and  acted  just  as  if 
they  were  trying  to  race  with  the  ship.  It  was  indeed  a 
wondrous  sight ;  one  which  even  old  travelers  view  with 
delight.  The  water  was  so  clear  that  those  that  were 
near  the  Nubia  could  be  seen  as  they  put  forth  all  their 
energies  to  keep  up  with  the  steamer.  They  would  be 
swimming  along  some  feet  beneath  the  surface,  when, 
without  any  warning,  they  would  leap  in  the  air,  make  a 
blowing  noise,  and  dart  down  again  into  the  sea. 

Robbie  asked  why  they  made  the  noise. 

The  Captain  told  them  the  porpoise  was  not  a  fish 
like  a  shark,  but  a  warm-blooded  animal  like  a  pig,  and 
he  needed  to  come  to  the  surface  to  breathe  quite  as  much 

74 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

as  a  whale.  "They  have  a  blow-hole,"  said  he,  "on  top 
of  their  heads  near  the  eyes ;  when  they  leap  from  the 
water  they  blow  out  the  air  from  their  lungs,  take  fresh 
breath  and  then  dive  down  again." 

"I  thought,"  said  Lulu,  "  they  just  jumped  for  fun." 

"No,"  continued  the  Captain,  "they  come  up  to 
breathe,  for  they  cannot  remain  long  at  a  time  under 
water."  The  porpoises  were  plucky  fellows,  and  kept  up 
the  race  for  some  time.  But  they  were  not  a  match  for 
the  tireless  arms  of  the  engine,  and  so  by  and  by  they 
dropped  astern. 

The  Ogowe  Band  sat  down  and  begged  the  Captain  to 
tell  them  about  porpoises.  He  was  always  willing  to 
oblige  his  little  passengers,  and  besides  was  not  averse  to 
spinning  a  yarn. 

"The  sailors,"  said  he,  "call  the  porpoise  a  'sea-pig,' 
because  it  looks  much  like  a  pig  when  it  jumps  from  the 
water.  When  I  was  a  boy  in  a  sailing  ship,  we  did  not 
liave  so  many  kinds  of  preserved  food  as  we  have  now; 
indeed  we  had  little  else  but  salt  pork,  salt  beef  and  hard 
tack.  Then,  too,  our  voyages  were  much  longer  than 
they  are  now,  and  we  were  glad  enough  to  get  a  bit  of 
fresh  meat  of  any  kind.  It  often  happened  that  porpoises 
would  come  about  when  we  had  but  little  wind  and  the 
ship  was  almost  motionless  in  the  water.  At  such  times 
one  of  the  sailors  would  go  forward  on  the  bowsprit  and 
when  a  porpoise  came  near,  harpoon  it.  As  soon  as  the 
porpoise  was  struck  he  would  splash  about  at  a  great  rate, 
but  soon  his  strength  would  be  exhausted  and  the  poor 
fellow  would  be  hauled  up  on  deck  by  plenty  of  willing 
hands  whose  only  thought  was  of  the  good  dinner  in  store 
for  them.  The  skin  is  an  inch  thick  ;  when  shaved  quite 
thin  it  makes  excellent  leather.  Underneath  the  skin  is  a 


75 


TROPICAL,  VOYAGING 

layer  of  fat  from  which  oil  of  a  fine  quality  may  be 
extracted.  The  flesh  is  dark  colored  and  full  of  blood, 
and  we  sailors  used  to  think  it  was  excellent  eating.  Per- 
haps we  might  think  differently  now,  although  I  must 
say  I  should  like  a  nice  porpoise  steak  to-day." 

The  Band  thanked  him  for  the  information,  and  the 
Judge  added  that  in  former  times  the  flesh  was  highly 
esteemed  and  reckoned  fit  for  the  table  of  royalty.  In 
the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  it  was  still  used  by  the 
nobles  of  England,  and  was  served  up  with  bread-crumbs 
and  vinegar.  The  young  folks  thought  they  would  like 
to  have  some,  but  the  Captain  said  he  could  not  afford  to- 
stop  a  steamer  for  the  sake  of  catching  a  porpoise. 

The  ship's  Doctor  now  came  on  deck  and  stood  by 
the  rail  looking  out  over  the  sea.  Turning  to  our  young 
friends  he  asked  if  they  had  seen  the  "  Portuguese  men-of- 
war."  They  did  not  quite  understand  him  but  they  went 
to  the  side  of  the  ship  and  the  Doctor  pointed  to  some 
delicate  pink  shells  that  were  floating  on  the  blue  waves ; 
these,  he  told  them,  were  the  nautilus,  or  as  the  sailors 
call  them,  "Portuguese  men-of-war." 

The  little  mariners  held  up  two  arms  that  had  broad 
hands  spread  to  the  wind  and  answered  very  well  for  sails, 
while  other  arms  rested  on  the  water  and  were  doubtless- 
used  as  paddles.  The  shells  appeared  very  delicate,  and 
perhaps  large  enough  to  hold  half-a-pint.  Hundreds  of 
them  were  in  sight,  all  sailing  before  the  wind,  and  ap- 
parently enjoying  the  warm  air  and  bright  sunlight. 

The  young  folks  asked  the  Doctor  to  tell  them  about 
these  little  fish  that  sailed  along  so  jauntily  in  their  beau- 
tiful pink  yachts. 

He  replied,  "The  nautilus  belongs  to  an  interesting 
order  of  mollusca  now  reduced  to  a  few  species,  but  which. 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

were  very  abundant  in  some  of  the  geological  periods. 
They  are  found  only  in  very  warm  climates.  The  shell 
is  divided  into  sections,  and  the  animal  lives  only  in  the 
•outside  one.  The  inside  sections  may  be  filled  either 
with  air  or  water,  as  the  owner  desires.  It  commonly 
inhabits  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  walking  about  in  search 
of  its  food  which  consists  of  small  shell-fish.  It  has  a 
beak  something  like  a  parrot,  with  the  edges  notched,  so 
that  it  can  hold  on  to  shells  and  break  them. 

"At  certain  times  they  come  to  the  surface  to  sail 
about  in  the  bright  sunlight,  as  you  have  seen  them 
to-day." 

Johnny  told  the  Doctor  he  had  heard  the  chief  officer 
say  something  about  the  "trades"  not  being  strong,  and 
he  desired  to  know  what  that  meant. 

The  Doctor  explained  to  them  that  they  were  now 
in  the  northeast  trade-wind  region,  that  the  sailors  call 
these  winds  "  the  trades,"  and  that  what  the  chief  officer 
wished  to  say  was  that  these  winds  were  not  strong  this 
voyage. 

"  The  great  heat  in  the  equatorial  region,"  said  he, 
<(  causes  the  air  to  rise ;  the  colder  air  from  the  temperate 
regions  rushes  in  to  fill  the  vacuum.  If  there  were  no  dis- 
turbing elements  this  would  produce  a  due  north  and 
south  wind  coining  directly  toward  the  equator  from 
either  side ;  but  the  earth  is  turning  rapidly  from  west  to 
«ast,  more  rapidly  indeed  than  the  air  does ;  the  conse- 
qence  is  that  these  air  currents  are  given  a  westerly 
direction,  and  become  in  the  northern  hemisphere  a  north- 
east wind,  and  in  the  southern  hemisphere  a  southeast 
wind.  These  winds,  to  some  extent,  follow  the  sun;  the 
northeast  trades  sometimes  come  up  as  far  as  Madeira,  and 
then  again  their  northern  limit  is  a  day's  steaming  south 

77 


TROPICAIv  VOYAGING 

of  the  Canaries.  Sometimes,  too,  they  are  stronger  than 
others,  but  they  always  blow  in  one  direction." 

The  Band  thanked  the  Doctor,  and  then  resumed 
their  seats.  They  found  the  Judge  and  the  Captain  talk- 
ing about  the  sea-serpent. 

"  Do  you  believe  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  sea-ser- 
pent?" asked  the  Judge. 

"  That  is  a  direct  question,"  responded  the  Captain, 
"and  I  am  not  able  to  answer  it  directly.  It  is  the  fash- 
ion of  the  time  to  laugh  at  any  one  who  thinks  he  has 
seen  what  may  be  a  sea-serpent.  On  several  occasions 
ship-captains  have  come  forward  to  make  oath  to  what 
they  have  witnessed,  and  their  chief  reward  has  been  rid- 
icule by  the  newspapers.  These  papers  have  suggested 
that  the  Captains  were  tipsy  when  they  thought  they  saw 
the  great  snakes.  For  this  reason  mariners  are  reluctant 
to  testify  to  what  they  have  seen,  through  fear  of  being 
treated  as  impostors.  I  have  never  seen  the  monster 
myself,  but  I  recognize  the  fact  that  the  testimony  of  one 
man  who  has  seen  a  thing,  is  worth  more  than  that  of  a 
thousand  who  have  not  seen  it.  Many  hundreds  of  per- 
sons, in  different  parts  of  the  world,  have  seen  the  sea- 
serpent,  and  I  do  not  see  why  the  truth  of  its  existence 
may  not  be  considered  established.  If  the  size  of  these 
monsters  causes  you  landsmen  to  be  skeptical,  you  should 
remember  there  are  inhabitants  of  the  deep  that  quite 
equal  them  in  bulk.  Whales  that  exceed  eighty  feet  in 
length,  are  not  uncommon,  and  when  we  consider  their 
great  thickness  we  can  easily  have  enough  to  make  a  first- 
class  sea-serpent,  and  leave  a  few  tons  to  spare." 

"  Fossil  remains  of  reptiles  that  lived  ages  ago  ii\ 
your  own  State  of  New  Jersey  have  been  found,"  said  the 
Doctor,  "that  could  swallow  a  full-sized  man  as  easily  as 

78 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

a  frog  swallows  a  fly.  This  has  been  proved  by  geolo- 
gists beyond  a  doubt.  If  such  things  have  lived,  why  is 
it  impossible  for  some  members  of  this  reptile  family  to 
be  still  prowling  about  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean?" 

The  Judge  replied  that  he  considered  this  evidence  to 
be  of  a  somewhat  negative  character,  and  that  for  the 
present  he  would  withhold  his  decision ;  but  he  would  say 
this,  if  any  of  the  reptiles  the  Doctor  referred  to  were  still 
living,  they  must  at  least  be  aged. 

The  party  now  broke  up ;  the  girls  went  down  stairs 
to  prepare  for  dinner,  and  the  boys  took  a  stroll  forward 
among  the  men.  Their  minds  were  full  of  what  they  had 
just  heard,  and  Frank  asked  the  boatswain  if  he  could 
tell  them  anything  about  the  sea-serpent. 

"Sure  and  is  it  the  sea-sarpint  ye  would  be  after 
inquir'en  of  me  about?"  said  he.  "Won  day  in  forty- 
nine,  when  we  men  were  comin'  from  Californy,  we  were 
becalmed  in  the  West  Ingies,  and  the  Cap'en,  he  sez  to 
me,  sez  he,  '  Mike,  what  is  that  pint  o'land  on  the  lee 
bow  ? '  sez  he.  Sez  I,  '  wait  till  I  clap  my  weather  eye  on 
it  Cap'en,'  and  when  I  looked  I  tole  him,  I  be  blowed  if  I 
knowed.  That  pint  o'land  was  all  covered  with  scales 
like,  intromingled  with  long  hair,  and  its  eyes  flashed  fire 
and  smoke  at  interwals.  By  and  by  it  begun  to  sink  and 
it  kep'  on  a  sinken  fur  three  days  hand-nmnin,  and  if 
that  ain't  a  sea-sarpint  fur  ye  I  don't  know  what  iswun." 

The  boys  listened  with  awe  to  this  story  of  the 
ancient  mariner,  and  they  went  back  to  the  cabin  without 
asking  any  more  questions. 

In  the  evening,  as  they  all  sat  upon  the  deck  enjoy- 
ing the  beauties  of  the  night,  the  Judge  told  his  young 
companions  about  the  cochineal  they  had  seen  the  wxrnien 
gathering  at  Grand  Canary. 

79 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

"Cochineal,"  said  he,  "  consists  simply  of  the  bodies 
of  a  species  of  insect  that  feeds  upon  plants  of  the  cactus 
family,  particularly  upon  one  known  in  Mexico  as  the 
Nopal.  This  plant  is  nearly  allied  to  the  prickly  pear. 
The  insect  is  a  small  creature  of  a  deep  red  color,  and  has 
white  wings.  It  is  calculated  that  it  takes  seventy  thou- 
sand of  them  in  a  dried  state  to  weigh  a  pound.  The 
gathering  of  the  cochineal  is  very  tedious  and  is  accom- 
plished by  brushing  the  branches  of  the  cactus  with  the 
tail  of  a  squirrel  or  other  animal.  The  insects  are  killed 
either  by  boiling  water,  or  by  heating  them  in  ovens.  It 
is  cultivated  in  the  Canary  Islands  and  Mexico,  but  has 
never  succeeded  in  the  East  Indies. 

The  Captain  told  his  young  passengers  that  as  they 
had  now  reached  the  warmer  waters  of  the  tropics,  it 
would  be  well  for  them  to  come  out  every  morning  at 
sunrise  when  the  decks  were  washed  down,  and  have  a 
bath  under  the  hose.  They  accepted  his  suggestion,  and 
after  this,  as  long  as  they  remained  on  the  Nubia,  they 
came  out  every  morning  when  they  heard  the  sailors 
scrubbing  the  decks  and  had  a  good  shower  bath  and  a 
frolic.  A  strong  pump,  run  by  the  engine,  throws  a 
stream  of  salt  water  through  the  hose  and  is  an  excellent 
means  for  giving  a  man  a  ducking.  The  girls  did  not 
care  to  get  up  quite  so  early  and  when  they  were  ready 
they  had  a  salt  water  plunge  in  the  bath-room. 

The  Captain  had  a  large  goat  named  Billy.  He  was 
a  great  favorite  among  the  men  who  had  much  rude  sport 
with  him.  Billy  was  strongly  inclined  to  strike  things 
with  his  head.  When  he  wished  to  make  an  examination 
of  any  strange  object,  his  fashion  was  to  rear  high  on  his 
hind  legs  and  come  down  against  it  with  his  head  with 
all  his  force.  The  sailors  thought  this  was  very  funny 

80 


LADY    OF   HIGH    RANK,    OLD   CALABAR 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

and  they  looked  upon  him  as  one  of  the  crew.  There 
was  one  sad  trial  in  Billy's  life.  Every  morning  when 
the  decks  were  washed  down,  Billy  had  to  be  washed  too. 
Four  men  were  detailed  for  this  job.  They  skirmished 
around  the  deck  until  Billy  was  caught  and  then  led  him, 
a  defiant  but  unhappy  prisoner,  to  a  place  near  the  after 
hatch  where  he  was  lashed  "fore  and  aft"  to  the  side  of 
the  ship  and  the  hose  turned  011  him.  When  he  was 
thoroughly  soaked  a  sailor  came  carefully  up  to  him  and 
soaped  him  all  over,  and  then  he  was  thoroughly  rinsed 
again  with  the  hose.  Poor  Billy  was  not  fond  of  his  morn- 
ing bath  ;  sometimes  he  tried  to  hide,  and  at  other  times 
he  showed  fight  and  was  only  captured  after  a  lively  tus- 
sle, but  in  the  end  he  would  be  forced  to  submit  and  take 
his  regular  washing. 

Among  the  sailors  was  an  old  man,  who,  by  some 
means  had  been  taken  as  one  of  the  crew.  He  was  not 
well  when  the  steamer  left  Liverpool,  and  had  grown 
gradually  worse  until  half-past  three,  when  he  died ;  the 
body  was  sewn  up  in  a  sack  and  laid  on  a  grating.  The 
funeral  took  place  two  hours  later  on  the  main-deck  in 
front  of  the  Captain's  room.  An  empty  pork  barrel  was 
covered  with  a  flag  and  one  end  of  the  grating  was  to  be 
laid  on  this,  and  the  other  end  was  to  rest  on  the  bulwark. 
When  all  was  ready,  the  bell  was  tolled,  the  engines 
stopped,  the  body  on  the  grating  brought  aft  and  laid  in 
its  place.  The  passengers,  together  with  as  many  of  the 
ship's  company  as  could  be  spared,  gathered  around  while 
the  Purser  read  the  burial  service.  Then  one  end  of  the 
grating  was  raised,  the  body  slid  off  into  the  sea,  the  Pur- 
ser read  a  prayer  and  the  benediction,  and  all  was  over. 
At  the  Captain's  command  the  engines  were  started  "full 
speed  ahead,"  and  the  ship  resumed  her  voyage. 

vi  8 1 


TROPICAL,  VOYAGING 

It  was  a  solemn  scene,  and  the  little  voyagers  shud- 
dered as  they  thought  of  the  possibility  of  one  of  their 
own  number  being  thrown  overboard. 

"Poor  old  man,"  said  Lulu,  "I  wonder  if  he  had 
any  one  to  love  him  ! " 

"Very  likely  he  has  an  old  wife,"  responded  Laura, 
"who  will  be  expecting  him  when  the  ship  returns,  and 
then  she  will  hear  that  she  will  never  see  him  again." 

The  voyage  lost  some  of  its  charm  after  the  death  of 
the  old  sailor,  and  the  Ogowe  Band  were  not  sorry,  when, 
seven  days  after  leaving  Las  Palmas,  they  saw  they  were 
approaching  land.  The  water  was  no  longer  clear  as  it 
had  been,  and  to  the  eastward,  as  well  as  ahead,  a  low, 
dark  line  of  vegetation  appeared  above  the  water;  this 
was  their  first  sight  of  the  great  African  continent. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  the  shore  line  began  to  take 
on  a  definite  form  and  they  saw  they  were  steaming  into  a 
bay,  the  shores  of  which  were  low  and  covered  with  a  thick 
growth  of  trees  and  bushes.  Ahead  of  them,  on  a  low, 
rocky  cape,  was  a  tall  light-house  that  marks  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor,  or,  rather,  river  of  Sierra  Leone.  By  4 
p.  M.  they  were  abreast  of  the  light-house ;  and,  turning 
sharply  to  the  left,  they  steamed  up  the  river  to  the 
anchorage  in  front  of  the  town. 

The  young  travelers  gazed  with  intense  interest  upon 
their  first  African  landscape,  and  they  felt  almost  oppressed 
by  the  rich,  dense  verdure  which  crowded  upon  their  vis- 
ion. Groves  of  oil-palms,  their  feathery  arms  like  great 
ostrich  plumes,  waving  in  the  gentle  breeze;  and  tall 
cotton-woods,  covered  with  a  wealth  of  vines  completely 
hiding  the  trunks  and  converting  them  into  great  columns 
of  living  green,  especially  attracted  their  attention.  Be- 
neath the  palms  and  almost  hidden  from  view  were  clus- 

82 


TROPICAL  VOYAGING 

ters  of  little  brown  houses,  the  homes  of  the  native 
Africans.  Upon  the  water  were  small  canoes  in  which 
men  were  engaged  in  catching  fish,  while  larger  canoes 
were  sailing  by,  doubtless  returning  home  after  having 
disposed  of  their  produce  in  the  town. 

The  air  was  very  warm,  and  there  was  a  steaminess 
about  it  that  was  distinctly  noticeable,  and  which  made 
them  disinclined  to  any  exertion,  or,  as  Hattie  expressed  it, 
"It  made  them  feel  like  a  wet  rag."  The  town  is  twenty 
miles  above  the  light-house,  and  they  came  to  anchor 
just  before  sundown,  giving  them  an  opportunity  to  get  a 
little  idea  of  the  place  before  it  was  time  to  go  below  for 
dinner. 

Freetown  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain  three  thousand  feet  high,  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Sierra  Leone  River,  and  is  surrounded  on  the  east  and 
south  by  a  magnificent  amphitheatre  of  hills  and  mount- 
ains. The  slopes  of  this  mountain  are  covered  with  a 
tall,  coarse  grass,  with  here  and  there  a  few  trees ;  and,  for 
some  distance  up,  is  dotted  with  neat  little  villages,  and 
the  country  residences  of  foreign  merchants.  Along  the 
water  a  heavy  wall  has  been  built,  with  a  pier  where  pas- 
sengers and  cargo  may  be  landed.  In  a  sheltered  cove  is 
the  coaling  station,  and  on  the  hillside  above  the  town  are 
the  barracks  for  the  troops.  Our  friends  were  surprised 
to  find  the  town  so  solidly  built,  and  having  such  an 
appearance  of  civilization  in  this  out-of-the-way  corner  of 
the  world.  Many  of  the  buildings  were  of  stone,  and 
from  the  steamer's  deck  appeared  solid  and  substantial. 

In  the  evening  as  they  were  seated  upon  deck  the 
Judge  told  his  young  companions  something  of  the  his- 
tory of  Sierra  Leone.  "  During  the  war  of  the  revolu- 
tion," said  he,  "a  large  number  of  blacks  ranged  them- 


TROPICAI,  VOYAGING 

selves  under  the  British  banner.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
they  followed  the  army  to  London ;  and,  when  that  dis- 
banded, they  found  themselves  strangers  in  a  strange 
land.  The  Government  determined  to  colonize  them  on 
the  coast  of  Africa,  so  they  were  brought  out  here  and 
founded  the  present  city  of  Freetown.  In  1807  the  slave- 
trade  was  declared  piracy  by  England,  and  a  squadron 
was  stationed  on  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing 
it.  All  the  slaves  taken  by  the  British  cruisers  have  been 
brought  to  this  colony  and  discharged  here;  this  has 
been  the  main  source  of  its  increase  of  population." 

The  Captain  added  that  there  was  a  good  system  of 
common-school  education,  together  with  some  higher 
academies,  and  that  the  language  spoken  was  English. 
He  also  told  them  that  the  Governor  was  an  Englishman, 
but  the  rest  of  the  civil  officers  were  black  men;  the 
troops  too  were  natives,  with  a  few  white  officers.  The 
Purser  informed  them  that  the  Sierra  Leone  people  were 
great  scamps,  an  opinion  they  afterward  found  everywhere 
prevalent  on  the  coast. 


84 


CHAPTER  VI. 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA. 


¥HE  next  morning  the  Ogowe  Band  were  out 
early,  for  the  decks  were  washed  soon  after 
the  change  of  the  watch  at  four  o'clock ;  and 
before  this  work  was  finished  they  took 
their  usual  bath  under  the  hose,  so  they  were 
quite  ready  for  coffee  and  toast  at  six  o'clock. 

It  was  a  glorious  morning.  A  shower  had  fallen 
during  the  night,  and,  as  the  sun  rose  above  the  "Lone 
Mountain,"  its  beams  were  reflected  from  millions  of  tiny 
drops,  which  still  covered  the  grass  and  leaves  like  liquid 
gems.  The  air  was  deliciously  soft  and  sweet  with  the 
fragrance  of  the  luxurious  vegetation ;  yet,  with  all  its 
freshness,  it  induced  a  lassitude  that  disinclined  one  to 
active  exertion.  The  inclination  was  to  sit  down  and 
quietly  enjoy  the  scene,  moving  about  with  any  animation 
requiring  a  conscious  effort. 

Several  boats  had  already  come  alongside  the  steamer, 
and  the  Judge  engaged  two  of  these  to  take  the  party 
ashore.  The  Captain  was  busy  with  a  number  of  things 
that  required  his  attention,  and  could  not  go  with  them. 

85 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

The  heavy  stone  steps  of  the  pier  made  an  excellent  land- 
ing ;  and,  as  there  was  no  surf,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
step  ashore  from  the  boats.  Quite  a  crowd  of  loafers 
and  idlers  were  sitting  and  standing  about,  but  there 
were  no  beggars  as  at  Madeira.  At  the  market-landing  a 
little  distance  away  were  a  number  of  large  country  boats 
unloading  plantains,  bananas,  yams,  and  other  farm  pro- 
duce. These  boats  were  quite  good-sized  and  had  four 
rowers  seated  in  the  middle  to  use  the  oars  when  there 
was  no  wind. 

Our  friends  ascended  by  a  broad  flight  of  steps  to  the 
level  of  the  town,  and  then  passed  along  the  street,  first 
of  all  to  the  market-house.  This  was  a  large  stone  build- 
ing and  arranged  inside  very  much  like  the  old  markets 
in  the  streets  of  Philadelphia.  In  the  open  space  in  front 
of  the  market  a  great  number  of  women  were  seated  beside 
small  piles  of  fruit  and  vegetables  which  they  had 
brought  for  sale.  Customers  were  solicited  in  loud  tones 
to  purchase,  and  the  din  of  the  traffic  was  heard  every- 
where. Most  of  the  bargaining  was  carried  on  in  what, 
to  our  young  tourists,  was  an  unknown  tongue ;  but  occa- 
sionally English  was  heard.  The  principal  articles  of 
trade  seemed  to  be  plantains,  yams,  bananas,  peppers,  limes, 
and  a  number  of  strange  looking  vegetables  and  fruits  of 
which  our  young  friends  did  not  know  the  name.  Ginger- 
cakes,  pies,  and  other  articles  of  cookery,  were  also  dis- 
played, and  eagerly  purchased  by  the  hungry  countrymen. 

From  the  market  our  young  friends  passed  through 
the  streets  of  the  business  portion  of  the  town.  The 
shops  contained  a  fair  asssortment  of  the  cheaper  varieties 
of  dry-goods  and  various  nick-nacks;  and,  on  one  of  the 
corners  they  saw  a  really  excellent  grocery  store.  Most 
of  the  shops  were  kept  by  black  people,  but  occasionally 

86 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

a  white  face  was  seen ;  these  were  very  pale  and  had  a 
deathly  look  which  quite  startled  our  young  tourists. 

They  had  not  gone  far  when,  on  turning  a  corner, 
they  met  a  procession  which  proved  to  be  a  funeral.  The 
body  was  in  a  decent  cloth-covered  coffin,  carried  upon 
the  shoulders  of  four  men,  and  was  followed  by  a  long 
train  of  well-dressed  men  and  women.  After  the  funeral 
cortege  had  passed,  the  Judge  and  his  young  companions 
continued  their  walk.  They  were  surprised  to  find  the 
streets  so  clean  and  in  such  good  order,  and  the  houses 
and  stores  so  substantially  built. 

"There  is  a  photographer's,"  observed  Lulu.  "Per- 
haps he  might  have  some  pictures  to  sell." 

"  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  us  to  go  in,"  responded 
Mr.  McGee,  and  so  in  they  went. 

The  stock  of  ready-made  pictures  was  not  large  and 
they  were  mostly  either  buildings  or  groups  of  faces. 
The  artist  informed  them  there  was  but  little  demand  for 
pictures  of  tropical  scenery.  "  Most  of  the  people  who 
liave  pictures  taken,"  said  he,  "wish  to  send  home  a  like- 
ness of  the  house  they  live  in  or  the  store  where  they 
work,  and  that  is  all  they  care  for."  The  prices  were 
high  and  the  Judge  bought  but  few, — more  to  have  some 
little  souvenirs  of  Sierra  Leone  than  anything  else. 

They  now  visited  the  residence  portion  of  the  town. 
The  houses  scarcely  came  up  to  the  American  idea  of 
beauty  and  comfort,  and  yet,  for  a  tropical  town  they  were 
well  built,  and  quite  suitable  for  a  hot  climate.  Most  of 
them  had  small  yards  with  a  few  coarse  flowers ;  and  the 
boys  noticed  chickens  and  ducks,  with  occasionally  a  pig, 
and  a  good  many  black  babies. 

The  Judge  now  proposed  that  they  visit  the  fort,  and 
to  this  his  young  companions  were  quite  agreed.  A  fine 

8? 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

broad  road  wound  by  gradual  ascent  up  the  hillside  and 
presently  brought  them  to  the  parade  ground.  The  com- 
mander of  the  fort  happened  to  be  on  the  piazza,  of  his 
house,  and  seeing  they  were  strangers,  he  sent  an  orderly 
to  invite  them  to  call  upon  him.  The  invitation  was  gladly 
accepted  for  the  sun  was  getting  very  hot,  and  our  friends 
were  in  a  dripping  perspiration  from  their  exertions. 

The  commander  received  them  cordially  and  led  the 
way  to  a  balcony  where  they  had  an  excellent  view  of  the 
town  and  harbor.  As  our  friends  politely  declined  wine, 
coffee  was  presently  served,  and  in  the  meanwhile  the  com- 
mander gave  them  a  graphic  description  of  the  country. 
He  told  them  the  country-people  were  quite  distinct  from 
the  town-people.  "  These  latter,"  said  he,  "  were  brought 
here  by  British  cruisers  and  call  themselves  Englishmen  - 
yet  they  are  inferior  in  many  respects  to  the  native  races, 
who  indeed  lack  education,  but  are  a  sturdy,  manly  set  of 
people."  He  also  informed  them  that  Great  Britain 
claimed  the  ownership  of  the  interior,  but  that  practically 
the  native  tribes  were  independent  except  those  who  lived 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Freetown;  the  difficulties  of 
travel  were  so  great,  and  the  climate  so  unhealthy,  that 
the  back  country  was  simply  left  to  itself.  "There  is  no 
such  thing  as  systematic  cultivation,"  he  continued,  "but 
the  bush-people  gather  the  spontaneous  products  of  the 
forest,  and  these  are  brought  to  town  by  native  traders. 
As  a  consequence,  the  trade  of  the  port  is  small,  and  if  it 
were  not  for  the  money  the  steamers,  the  government, 
and  the  missionary  societies,  spend,  the  town  would  be 
poor  enough." 

The  Judge  inquired  if  missionary  operations  in  the 
colony  had  been  successful,  and  what  were  the  visible 
results. 

88 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

The  commander  replied  that  this  was  a  difficult  ques- 
tion to  answer ;  that  much  had  been  accomplished  but 
that  much  still  remained  to  be  done.  "There  is  a  very 
general  disposition  on  the  part  of  foreign  residents,"  said 
he,  "to  cry  down  missions,  and  proclaim  them  failures, 
but  I  have  observed,  that  as  a  rule  the  private  life  of  such 
persons  wrill  not  bear  close  inspection.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  are  some  missionaries  sent  out  who  are  not 
worthy  to  be  such  ;  some  are  quarrelsome,  and  others  are 
unwise  in  their  methods,  but  a  goodly  proportion  of  them 
are  earnest,  devoted  men,  and  are  a  real  blessing  to  the 
country.  Of  one  thing  I  am  sure,  it  is  much  easier  for 
me  to  govern  this  mixed  population  than  it  would  be  if 
there  were  no  missionaries.  Whatever  the  individual 
faults  of  these  men  may  be,  their  influence  is  always  on 
the  side  of  law  and  order. 

"Now,  as  to  the  visible  effects  of  their  work,  there  is, 
first,  an  entire  absence  of  human  sacrifice  and  devil  wor- 
ship. Second,  several  churches  in  which  well-dressed  and 
devout  congregations  assemble  every  Sabbath.  Third,  a 
higher  grade  of  morality,  and  a  higher  public  sentiment 
than  there  would  be  without  them.  On  the  whole,  the 
missionary  movement,  while  it  has  failed  to  accomplish  all 
that  some  had  hoped  for,  may  yet,  in  my  opinion,  be 
called  a  success." 

It  was  now  eleven  o'clock  and  the  commander  invited 
the  Judge  and  his  party  to  have  some  breakfast  with  him, 
which  invitation  they  thankfully  accepted.  At  the  table 
there  were  several  junior  officers  and  their  conversation 
soon  became  animated  and  general. 

"I  think  this  is  a  very  hot  country,"  said  Grace, 
speaking  to  a  young  Lieutenant  beside  her. 


<Q9 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

"  Not  so  hot  as  it  is  sometimes  in  Senegambia,"  he 
replied ;  "  that  country,  as  you  know,  borders  on  the  Great 
Desert,  and  occasionally  they  have  winds  called  the  Har- 
matan,  which  blow  for  two  or  three  days  and  feel  as  if  they 
came  from  a  furnace.  It  dries  up  everything  and  makes 
the  country  appear  as  if  scorched ;  even  the  skin  cracks 
and  blisters  from  the  extreme  heat.  During  its  preval- 
ence all  business  is  suspended,  and  the  people  devote  them- 
selves to  keeping  cool." 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  can  do  it,"  responded  Grace. 

"  The  best  plan  that  has  yet  been  discovered,"  contin- 
ued the  Lieutenant,  "  is  to  sit  in  jars.  Large  earthen  jars 
about  five  feet  high,  with  a  stool  or  a  low  seat  in  them, 
are  kept  in  the  house.  When  the  Harmatan  begins  to 
blow,  the  house  is  closed  and  each  of  the  inmates  gets  in 
ajar  and  remains  there  until  it  has  spent  its  force." 

"Those  must  be  family  jars,"  observed  Jessie,  who 
had  been  listening  attentively. 

"Might  we  not  call  them  preserving  jars,"  answered 
the  Lieutenant,  "since  they  preserve  their  contents  from 
the  heat?" 

"Do  you  have  any  telegraphs  in  Sierra  Leone?" 
asked  Saxe  of  a  lively  young  orderly  next  to  him. 

"No,"  he  replied,  "it  is  torn  down  as  fast  as  we  can 
build  it  up." 

"How  is  that?"  inquired  Saxe. 

"It  is  all  because  of  the  monkeys,"  pursued  the 
orderly.  "  A  monkey  is  as  full  of  curiosity  as  a  girl,  and  as 
mischievous  as  a  boy.  As  soon  as  the  men  put  up  the 
line  and  move  away,  the  monkeys  come  about  to  see  what 
the  men  have  been  doing ;  of  course  they  find  the  poles 
and  wire,  and,  after  a  careful  inspection,  they  conclude  it 
must  have  been  put  up  for  them.  They  evidently  intend 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

to  show  their  entertainers  that  they  appreciate  their  efforts. 
For  they  go  at  once  into  the  forest  and  call  all  their  friends 
and  acquaintances  and  then  have  a  jolly  time  together. 
They  climb  the  poles  and  jump  and  play  upon  the  wires 
to  such  an  extent  that  both  wires  and  poles  are  dragged 
down  and  the  line  destroyed.  As  fast  as  we  can  replace 
the  poles  and  wires  the  monkeys  tear  them  down,  and  so 
we  have  given  it  up  for  a  bad  job." 

Saxe  listened  to  the  young  Englishman's  narrative 
with  intense  interest  and  then  informed  him  that  a  some- 
what similar  experience  had  occurred  to  the  company  that 
first  put  up  a  telegraph  line  across  the  plains  to  California. 

"There  are  no  trees  on  those  plains,"  said  Saxe,  "and 
the  buffaloes  had  no  way  to  scratch  their  backs ;  but  when 
the  poles  were  put  up  they  thought  they  were  just  the 
thing,  and  crowded  about  them  so  eagerly  for  their  turn, 
that  the  poles  were  thrown  down.  To  remedy  this  the 
company  sent  to  St.  Louis,  Chicago,  and  indeed  all  the 
cities,  and  bought  up  all  the  brad-awls  they  could  find, 
and  put  these  in  the  poles  as  high  as  the  back  of  a  large 
buffalo.  But  if  the  buffaloes  were  eager  before,  they  were 
just  frantic  now,  and  fought  their  way  through  the  mass 
of  animals  in  order  to  get  up  to  the  poles,  for  the  awls 
only  barely  reached  through  their  thick  coats,  and  the 
poles  were  thrown  down  more  than  at  first." 

"What  did  they  do  then?"  eagerly  inquired  the 
orderly. 

"  Greased  the  poles,"  responded  Saxe ;  and  then  there 
was  a  good  laugh. 

After  lunch  the  party  repaired  again  to  the  balcony, 
where  the  gentlemen  smoked,  and  all  drank  coffee  and 
had  a  good  time  talking  about  the  country  and  its  many 
objects  of  interest.  At  three  o'clock  the  Judge  and  his 

91 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

young  companions  bade  their  kind  entertainers  good-bye 
and  wended  their  way  down  to  the  landing.  The  sun  was 
still  very  hot,  but  the  sea-breeze  coming  in  tempered  the 
heat  and  the  walk  was  a  pleasant  one.  The  Captain  was 
glad  to  see  them  back  again,  for  he  hardly  knew  what 
had  become  of  them. 

At  five  o'clock  the  Nubia  sailed,  and  her  decks  pre- 
sented a  more  animated  appearance  than  when  she  came 
in,  for  she  had  taken  on  board  over  fifty  passengers. 
These  passengers  ate  and  slept  on  the  deck,  and,  as  Jessie 
truly  observed,  they  did  not  want  for  fresh  air.  They 
found  out  afterward  that  a  part  of  the  company  was  an 
additional  crew,  which  was  shipped  here  to  work  the 
cargo  while  the  steamer  was  on  the  African  coast,  and 
would  be  landed  here  again  when  the  ship  was  homeward 
bound. 

That  evening  as  they  sat  upon  the  deck  enjoying  the 
cool  breeze,  Captain  Davis  told  them  it  was  so  hot  upon 
the  coast,  and  especially  in  the  rivers,  that  if  the  white 
crew  did  all  the  work,  several  of  them  would  likely  die ; 
and  so  it  was  the  custom  for  all  vessels  that  sailed  along 
the  African  coast  to  take  on  a  crew  of  native  men  to  do 
the  heaviest  work.  "These  men,"  said  he,  "get  a  regu- 
larly prescribed  ration  of  rice  and  beef,  and  a  shilling  a 
day  as  wages,  besides  some  extra  allowances  to  the 
smartest  of  them."  He  told  them  they  were  called  Kru- 
boys,  had  a  language  of  their  own,  but  all  could  talk  a 
kind  of  pigeon-English  which  was  universal  on  the  coast. 
He  also  told  them  that  in  Africa  native  workmen  and 
servants  are  always  called  "boys,"  no  matter  what  theif 
age  or  size  might  be. 

Beyond  the  lighthouse  were  large  banks  and  rocky 
reefs  that  compelled  the  Nubia  to  make  a  long  detour  in 

92 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

order  to  get  around  them.  The  next  morning  they  were 
off  the  Liberian  coast  and  at  sundown  passed  Monrovia 
-without  calling.  From  the  upper  bridge,  with  the  aid  of 
glasses,  the  town  could  be  distinctly  seen  ;  indeed  it  was 
near  enough  to  be  seen  quite  well  with  the  naked  eye. 
The  town  is  small,  the  wooden  houses  scattered  about 
apparently  at  random,  and  the  large  number  of  palms 
give  it  a  pretty  and  picturesque  appearance. 

After  dinner,  as  the  party  sat  upon  the  deck  in  the 
quiet  moonlight,  the  conversation  turned  upon  Liberia, 
its  history  and  present  condition.  The  Judge  told  his 
young  companions  about  the  American  Colonization 
Society  and  its  effort  to  form  an  independent  African  Re- 
public out  of  the  negroes  sent  from  America ;  while  the 
Captain  told  of  its  utter  failure. 

"Your  government  made  a  great  mistake,"  said  he, 
-addressing  the  Judge,  "in  sending  out  those  negroes  and 
then  leaving  them  to  care  for  themselves ;  colonial  history 
everywhere  shows  that  young  communities  in  foreign 
lands  need  the  fostering  care  of  strong  home  governments. 
They  need  it  just  as  much  as  an  infant  needs  the  care  of 
a  parent.  Liberia  was  colonized  with  a  better  class  of 
people  than  Sierra  Leone,  but  it  amounts  to  nothing; 
there  is  no  freight,  mail,  or  passengers,  to  be  landed  there, 
and  so  far  as  we  are  concerned,  it  might  as  well  be  a 
desert." 

The  Judge  asked  how  all  this  came  about,  and  he 
replied :  "  When  the  American  negro  came  here,  he  felt 
himself  quite  above  work  and  was  content  to  be  nothing 
less  than  a  government  official,  a  college  professor,  or  a 
preacher ;  the  native  races  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them,  and  so  they  were  just  a  pack  of  gentlemen  together. 
No  true  success  could  come  to  such  a  people  and  they 

93 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

have  been  a  hindrance  to  the  native  tribes  rather  than  a 
help  to  them." 

The  Judge  desired  to  know  what  was  being  done  in 
the  way  of  education,  and  in  reply  he  learned  there  were 
a  few  small  primary  schools,  some  of  which  were  called 
colleges,  although  the  students  might  only  be  learning  to 
read  and  spell;  besides  these  there  were  a  few  small 
schools  supported  by  various  missionary  societies. 

"Does  the  country  produce  nothing  for  export?" 
inquired  Frank. 

"Almost  nothing,"  was  the  reply;  "a  little  coffee 
and  cam-wood  is  about  all." 

"What  is  cam-wood?"  asked  Johnny. 

"  It  is  a  tree  that  yields  a  valuable  red  dye,"  answered 
the  Captain;  the  roots  and  stumps  are  the  parts  most 
used." 

The  Doctor  now  asked  that  he  might  read  a  few 
words  about  Liberia  written  by  Professor  Chase  of  Atlanta, 
Ga.  Professor  Chase  made  a  personal  inspection  of  the 
missions  in  Liberia,  and  he  writes  as  follows:  "In  this 
connection  allow  me  to  make  a  remark  about  sending 
freedmen  in  large  numbers  to  Africa.  When  they  reach 
that  shore  there  is  no  work  for  them  to  do ;  no  one  needs 
laborers.  Although  they  may  find  plenty  of  land  they  can- 
not raise  anything  to  sell ;  and  after  spending  the  little 
money  they  carry  with  them  and  wearing  out  the  clothes 
on  their  backs,  they  must  build  mud  huts,  tie  a  handker- 
chief about  their  loins  and  feed  on  cassava.  This,  without 
exaggeration,  is  the  present  material  status  of  the  mass  of 
the  people,  and  must  continue  to  be  until  Christianity  and 
philanthropy  teach  them  how  to  dig  from  the  soil  the 
accessories  of  a  civilized  life." 


94 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

"That  is  just  it,"  chimed  in  the  Purser,  "let  them 
dig  for  a  living,  what  do  they  want  an  education  for, 
anyway  ?  The  better  you  educate  a  nigger  the  more  able 
he  is  to  cheat  and  steal." 

"My  friend,"  replied  the  Judge,  "have  you  ever 
noticed  that  precisely  the  same  is  true  of  the  white  man? 
Is  it  not  true  that  the  'American  Colony'  in  Canada, 
of  forgers  and  defaulters,  are  all  educated  men  ?  Is  not 
education  a  power  which  may  be  turned  to  good  or  evil 
accordingly  as  it  is  used?  If  education  has  been  good  for 
you  and  me,  why  may  it  not  be  good  for  these  people? 
If  it  should  be  withheld  from  the  African  because  he  does 
not  use  it  rightly,  why  should  it  not  be  withheld  from  us 
because  a  multitude  of  our  race  have  by  its  means  been 
able  to  injure  others?" 

The  Purser  did  not  attempt  to  combat  this  argument, 
but  he  asserted  that :  "Educate  an  African  as  much  as 
you  please,  he  will  remain  an  African  still,"  and  so  the 
conversation  for  the  night  closed.  The  following  day 
they  steamed  along  the  Liberian  coast  at  a  distance  of 
some  three  or  four  miles.  The  shores  were  low  and  cov- 
ered with  a  rich  forest  growth.  Every  two  or  three  miles 
were  villages  of  the  aborigines,  the  round  pointed  roofs 
forming  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  heavy  wall  of  living 
green.  About  these  villages  were  great  numbers  of 
cocoanut  trees,  showing  that  the  people  were  fond  of  its 
fruit.  Canoes  were  drawn  up  on  the  beach  in  front  of  the 
houses;  and  many  more  were  dancing  on  the  waves, 
while  their  owners  were  engaged  in  drawing  the  finny 
denizens  of  the  deep  from  their  watery  home.  Occasion- 
ally great  rocks  were  seen  protruding  from  the  water, 
against  which  the  waves  dashed  with  great  force,  throw- 
ing the  spray  high  in  the  air.  The  Captain  told  them 

95 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

this  was  a  dangerous  coast,  and  that  several  steamers  had 
come  to  grief  on  these  rocks. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  steamer  turned  toward  shore  and 
anchored  in  front  of  a  large  native  village  called  Sasstown, 
having  first  fired  the  cannon  on  the  forecastle  as  a  signal 
to  the  people  to  come  off.  The  Judge  inquired  if  cargo 
was  to  be  put  ashore  here,  and  was  told  the  stop  was  only 
made  to  get  Kru-boys. 

Presently  a  large  number  of  canoes  were  seen  coming 
off  from  land,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were 
alongside  and  their  owners  clambering  upon  deck. 
They  were  tall,  handsome,  finely  developed  men,  with 
dark  brown  skins,  woolly  heads,  and  frank  open  faces. 
Most  of  them  could  speak  the  pigeon-English  of  the 
coast,  and  by  this  means  were  able  to  converse  with  the 
Captain.  Some  of  the  older  of  them  had  "  books,"  or 
orders  from  traders  further  down  the  coast,  to  bring  gangs 
of  men  with  them,  and  these  orders  stated  that  the 
makers  of  them  would  pay  the  passage  of  such  gangs  to 
any  captain  who  would  bring  them. 

The  Kru-boys  were  respectful  but  noisy,  and  had  a 
great  deal  to  say  to  one  another  and  to  those  who  had 
come  on  board  at  Sierra  Leone.  The  canoes  were  not 
more  than  two  feet  wide  and  sometimes  not  so  much  as 
that,  and  they  were  turned  up  a  little  at  each  end.  There 
were  no  benches  or  seats  in  them,  but  the  Kru-men  sat 
flat  upon  the  bottom  with  their  legs  stretched  out  in  front 
of  them.  Of  course  a  good  deal  of  water  came  in,  mostly 
over  the  top,  and  the  Ogowe  Band  were  astonished  to  see 
the  men  bail  it  out  with  one  foot,  at  the  same  time  using 
the  paddle  with  their  hands. 

"  His  foot  is  so  flat  it  is  as  good  as  a  scoop,"  observed 
Willie. 

95 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

"  Yes,"  responded  Johnny,  "  when  they  were  climb- 
ing up  the  side  I  saw  them  take  hold  with  their  feet  just 
as  if  they  had  been  hands." 

These  were  the  first  real  wild  Africans  our  young 
friends  had  ever  seen,  and  they  watched  them  with  intense 
interest.  Among  the  brown  houses  on  shore,  with  the 
aid  of  a  glass,  the  mothers  and  children  could  be  seen 
moving  about,  and  the  young  travelers  wished  they 
could  go  on  shore  and  see  this  real  African  village 
and  learn  something  of  the  life  of  its  people.  At  sun- 
down the  Nubia  resumed  her  voyage  with  about  fifty  of 
the  Sasstown  boys  on  board  as  passengers. 

That  evening,  after  dinner,  the  Captain  told  them 
that  the  Kru-men  were  the  coolies  of  West  Africa. 
"Strange  as  it  may  seem,"  said  he,  "there  is  everywhere 
on  this  coast,  excepting  just  here,  a  scarcity  of  laborers; 
not  because  there  are  so  few  people,  but  because  they 
will  not  work;  consequently  traders  and  others  who 
employ  labor  must  send  here  for  men.  These  Kru- 
boys  we  took  on  board  this  afternoon  go  to  different  ports 
of  the  coast  to  work  on  a  one  year's  engagement.  Each 
gang  is  in  charge  of  a  headman  who  is  responsible  to  the 
employer  for  the  conduct  of  the  men,  and  to  the  people 
in  his  native  village  for  the  safety  of  those  under  his 
care.  A  master  seldom  gives  an  order  to  one  of  his  boys, 
but  to  the  headman,  and  he  sees  that  the  work  is  done. 
So,  too,  when  punishment  is  needed,  the  master  pro- 
nounces sentence  and  the  headman  carries  it  into  execution. 
Formerly  it  was  not  so,  and  in  those  days  it  was  no  unusual 
thing  for  traders  to  tie  their  men  up  and  whip  them  to 
death  ;  or  to  trice  them  up  by  their  thumbs  and  so  let 
them  hang  for  hours  in  great  agony.  These  practices  are 
now  rare,  and  as  a  rule  the  Kru-boys  are  treated  withkind- 

ri  97 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

ness  and  consideration.  They  receive  as  wages  from  one 
to  two  pounds  sterling  per  month,  and  a  regular  daily 
ration  of  rice  and  meat,  while  on  Saturday  they  get  in 
addition  a  head  of  tobacco  and  a  bottle  of  rum.  Besides 
this  they  receive  a  new  piece  of  cloth  on  the  first  Sunday 
in  every  month,  which  keeps  them  supplied  with  clothes, 
so  all  their  earnings  can  be  saved  and  taken  home.  Their 
employers  pay  the  passage  both  ways,  and  altogether  the 
Kru-boys  have  a  very  comfortable  time  of  it." 

"What  do  they  do  with  their  wages?"  inquired 
Robbie. 

"They  use  them  mostly  to  buy  wives  with,"  said  the 
Captain.  "  The  old  men  are  the  rulers  of  the  country, 
and  in  point  of  fact  they  own  not  only  the  property  but 
the  women  and  younger  men  as  well.  They  compel  the 
boys  and  younger  men  to  'go  to  sea,'  as  they  express  it, 
and  when  they  return  their  wages  are  taken  from  them. 
If  the  boy  is  still  young,  he  is  given  a  little  of  the  tobacco 
and  rum  and  allowed  to  enjoy  himself  for  a  few  days  and 
is  then  shipped  at  the  first  opportunity  under  the  care  of 
some  headman  who  is  a  friend  or  member  of  the  family. 
When  the  boy  has  grown  to  man's  estate,  a  wife  is  purchased 
for  him  and  he  is  allowed  to  retain  an  increasingly  large 
proportion  of  his  wages,  until  by  and  by  he  himself 
becomes  one  of  the  governing  class.  I  once  asked  a  young 
man  why  it  was  the  young  men  put  up  with  such  con- 
duct on  the  part  of  the  old  men,  and  he  answered  that 
they  hoped  to  do  the  same  way  when  they  got  old." 

Hattie  wished  to  know  what  kind  of  food  these  peo- 
ple had  to  eat,  and  the  Doctor  told  her  it  was  usually  rice. 
"Fish  are  not  very  abundant  along  here,"  said  he,  "and 
while  there  is  some  game  in  the  bush,  it  is  hard  to  get ;  so 
they  have  but  little  in  the  way  of  flesh,  and  are  obliged  to 

98 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

use  palm-oil  instead.  When  the  rice  is  boiled,  the  rich 
yellow  oil  is  poured  over  it  and  it  makes  a  wholesome,  and 
to  them,  palatable  dish." 

Frank  asked  how  the  rice  was  cultivated  and  the 
Doctor  replied  that  when  a  piece  of  ground  was  selected 
the  jungle  was  cut  at  the  beginning  of  the  dry-season  and 
allowed  to  lie  until  the  commencement  of  the  rains.  It 
is  then  burned  and  the  rice  is  planted  in  little  bunches 
among  the  stumps,  and  grows  very  readily.  "  It  is  the 
close  of  the  rainy-season  now,"  said  he,  "  and  the  rice  will 
be  ready  to  harvest  in  a  few  days."  The  conversation 
continued  until  a  late  hour,  for  it  was  so  pleasant  upon 
deck  that  our  friends  were  very  reluctant  to  go  to  bed. 

The  steamer  proceeded  "  dead  slow  "  all  night,  and  the 
next  morning  they  came  to  anchor  at  Grand  Cess,  which 
they  found  to  be  a  large  Km  village  much  like  Sasstown. 
Some  more  Kru-boys  were  taken  on  here,  and  then  the 
Nubia  went  on  to  Cape  Palmas  which  place  she  reached 
in  the  afternoon. 

Cape  Palmas  marks  the  southern  boundary  of  Liberia 
and  presents  an  inviting  appearance  as  seen  from  the  deck 
of  a  ship.  A  lighthouse  stands  on  the  extremity  of  the 
low  rocky  promontory  and  back  of  it  are  the  houses  of  the 
Americo-Liberians.  These  are  well  built,  mostly  of  stone, 
and  give  the  place  the  appearance  of  a  considerable  degree 
of  civilization  and  prosperity.  In  the  beautiful  bay  to 
the  north  of  the  cape,  is  a  large  steamer  high  up  on  the 
sand.  She  was  anchored  too  near  in  and  with  the  turn  of 
the  tide  she  struck  a  rock  which  knocked  a  hole  through 
her  and  she  was  run  on  the  beach  to  prevent  her  from 
sinking.  A  wall  of  sand  was  soon  thrown  around  her  by 
the  waves,  and  now  she  cannot  be  moved  from  her  posi- 
tion. 


99 


SIERRA  LEONE  AND  LIBERIA 

Although  Cape  Palmas  appeared  to  be  a  place  of  con- 
siderable importance,  yet  no  cargo  was  put  oft  here,  and 
but  few  passengers  were  taken  on.  The  Judge  thought 
he  would  like  to  go  ashore,  but  the  Captain  said  the  surf 
was  too  heavy,  and  besides  there  was  scarcely  time. 


IOO 


CHAPTER  VII. 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST. 


¥HE  Nubia  ran  "  dead  slow"  all  night  and  the 
next  morning  made  land  near   the  Kavali 
river  at  a  place  called  Taboo.     She  did  not 
anchor  but  hove  to  under  steam  and  fired  a 
gun  as  a  signal  to  the  people  on  shore ;  it 
was  not  long  before  a  fleet  of  canoes  was  seen,  coining  in 
answer  to  the  summons. 

Less  than  two  years  before  this,  the  steamer  Senegal 
was  passing  this  part  of  the  coast  in  the  night,  when  by 
some  mischance  she  ran  ashore  and  was  plundered  by  the 
natives.  At  first  they  contented  themselves  with  robbing 
the  ship ;  but  when  rum  wras  found  in  the  cabin,  they  all 
got  drunk  and  were  abusive  to  the  passengers.  These 
unfortunates  were  stripped  of  their  valuables,  and  a  finger 
was  cut  off  the  hand  of  one  lady  in  order  to  obtain  a 
ring  which  did  not  slip  off  easily.  There  is  no  telling 
what  might  not  have  happened  to  the  unlucky  passengers 
had  not  a  passing  steamer  presently  picked  them  up. 
The  Senegal  was  homeward-bound  and  full  of  palm-oil 
and  other  African  produce.  The  Kru-boys  of  course 


101 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

knew  perfectly  well  how  to  work  cargo  and  as  soon  as 
they  sobered  a  little  they  set  to  work  to  rig  up  a  spar  and 
get  out  the  oil.  As  each  cask  was  hoisted  over  the  side 
it  was  towed  ashore,  rolled  across  the  narrow  sandy  beach, 
then  towed  across  the  lagoon  and  taken  to  the  Kru-towns 
on  the  main-land. 

Here  on  this  lonely  coast,  an  old  Frenchman  has  a 
trading-post,  and  when  the  excitement  about  the  wreck 
had  quieted  down  the  oil  was  brought  and  sold  to  him, 
and  he  made  most  of  the  profit  out  of  the  transaction 
after  all.  His  trading-house,  on  a  little  bluff  that  jutted 
out  into  the  sea,  could  be  plainly  seen  from  the  ship. 

The  loss  of  the  Senegal  brought  on  a  conversation 
about  this  part  of  the  coast.  The  Captain  told  them  that 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  geography  of 
this  part  of  the  country  is  a  long  narrow  lagoon  extend- 
ing from  Cape  Palmas  to  Cape  Three  Points,  and  separated 
from  the  ocean  by  a  mere  bed  of  sand  seldom  more  than 
half  a  mile  wide.  This  lagoon  forms  a  sort  of  reservoir 
or  back-water  for  the  many  streams  that  come  down  from 
the  Kong  mountains,  and  affords  an  excellent  means  for 
inland  navigation  without  the  risk  and  danger  of  passing 
through  the  surf  to  the  open  ocean.  Some  of  the  rivers 
that  empty  into  this  lagoon  are  navigable  for  canoes  to 
the  very  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  the  country  is  rich  in 
all  natural  products,  but  so  unhealthy  that  white  people 
can  hardly  live  there. 

This  part  of  Africa,  as  far  as  Cape  Appolonia,  is 
called  the  Ivory  Coast,  but  at  the  present  time  very  little 
ivory  is  shipped,  the  trade  being  almost  entirely  in  palm- 
oil  and  kernels.  Some  more  of  the  Kru-boys  were  taken 
on  board  at  Taboo,  and  the  Nubia  steamed  away  to  the 
eastward. 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOI.D  COAST 

All  day  long  they  were  in  sight  of  the  shore  which, 
though  low  and  flat,  was  covered  with  a  dense  vegetation 
forming  a  dark  line  of  living  green  that  was  wondrously 
beautiful  as  the  brilliant  sunlight  of  the  tropic  skies 
streamed  down  upon  it.  Every  mile  or  two  little  brown 
villages  lay  embosomed  among  the  rich  cocoa-nut  groves 
that  in  many  places  lined  the  beach. 

The  decks  of  the  Nubia  now  presented  an  animated 
appearance  as  there  were  more  than  two  hundred  black 
passengers  who  had  to  eat,  sleep  and  lodge  there.  All  of 
these  men  had  English  names  by  which  they  were  known 
among  the  white  men,  as  their  own  native  names  were 
in  many  cases  unpronounceable.  The  muster-roll  showed 
the  most  common  of  the  names  to  be  Brass  Pan,  Jolly 
Nose,  Sea  Breeze,  Tar  Bucket,  Snow  Ball,  Flying  Jib, 
Salt  Junk,  Cod-Fish,  Wool  Pate,  Bottle  of  Beer  and  other 
curious  titles.  Of  these  fine  names  they  were  very  proud, 
quite  as  much  so  as  white  men  are  with  Honorable,  or 
Doctor  of  Divinity ;  and  yet  it  was  somewhat  startling  to 
inquire  of  some  tall,  handsome  fellow  what  his  name  was, 
and  have  him  answer  with  a  proud  smile  of  satisfaction, 
"  My  name,  he  be  Pea  Soup,  sir." 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  greatly  interested  in  the  way 
these  people  were  fed.  Rice  was  placed  in  large  stationary 
kettles  and  cooked  by  steam  supplied  from  the  boilers. 
When  done,  every  grain  stood  out  distinct  by  itself  and 
the  whole  mass  looked  wondrously  white  and  attractive. 
Each  head-man  received  an  amount  of  this  rice  propor- 
tioned to  the  number  of  his  men,  and  also  a  small  piece 
of  salt  beef  or  pork.  Each  group  then  sat  upon  the  deck, 
encircling  its  pan  of  rice,  and  watched  in  silence  while 
the  leader  cut  up  the  meat  and  handed  each  his  little 
share.  This  was,  to  them,  an  important  matter,  and  they 

103 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

looked  on  with  a  seriousness  that  indicated  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  gravity  of  the  occasion.  Each  received  his 
portion  of  meat  with  an  evident  sigh  that  it  was  not 
larger  and  prepared  to  make  the  most  of  the  little  he  had. 
If  it  was  a  lean  piece  he  carefully  bit  off  a  small  portion, 
or  if  it  was  a  piece  of  fat  he  sucked  off  a  little  of  its  rich- 
ness, just  so  as  to  get  the  taste  in  his  mouth ;  every  right 
hand  was  now  thrust  into  the  central  dish  and  a  large 
handful  of  the  steaming  white  rice  taken  and  firmly 
pressed  into  a  solid  ball.  The  head  was  then  thrown  far 
back,  the  mouth  opened  to  its  greatest  extent,  the  great 
ball  of  rice  dropped  in,  the  jaws  closed — the  patient  was 
then  ready  to  repeat  the  operation. 

This  is  the  way  a  native  African  dines,  and  as  Lulu 
observed,  "it  may  be  called  the  natural  method." 

"Yes,"  added  the  Judge,  who  overheard  the  remark, 
"  and  this  is  the  natural  man.  How  do  you  like  him  ?  " 

"I  think  I  should  prefer  the  artificial  variety," 
responded  Laura,  and  it  was  quite  evident  the  rest  of  the 
Band  agreed  with  her. 

In  the  afternoon  the  steamer  called  at  Little  Bereby, 
and  at  Grand  Bereby,  and  at  each  place  took  on  a  few 
more  boys.  There  were  now  more  than  three  hundred 
deck  passengers  and  the  ship  appeared  to  be  fairly  alive 
with  people. 

Just  before  sundown  they  called  at  Jellah  Coffee  for  a 
few  fresh  provisions.  This  is  the  only  port  on  the  coast 
where  chickens,  ducks  and  other  fowls  can  be  obtained ; 
the  people  of  Jellah  Coffee  make  it  their  specialty,  and  from 
all  appearance  they  do  a  thriving  trade.  This  poultry  is 
obtained  from  the  towns  on  the  various  rivers  that  empty 
into  the  lagoon  already  referred  to,  and  is  sold  to  the 
steamers  at  reasonable  prices  for  cash.  In  addition  to  the 

104 


iVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

poultry  trade,  the  people  gather  up  and  ship  by  home- 
ward-bound steamers  many  kinds  of  wild  animals  to  be 
sold  to  menageries  and  zoological  gardens.  All  wild  ani- 
mals have  a  market  value,  and  may  be  consigned  to  com- 
mission houses  the  same  as  palm-oil  and  ivory. 

One  more  day's  steaming  brought  them  to  Grand 
Bassam,  a  rather  desolate  looking  place  with  a  glaring, 
white  sandy  beach,  belonging  to  the  French.  Here  there 
is  an  opening  through  the  sandy  beach  into  the  lagoon ;  by 
means  of  a  small  steamer,  vessels  are  towed  in  and  out, 
and  may  thus  load  their  cargoes  in  quiet  waters.  The 
French  possessions  here  extend  to  the  Assinee  River,  but 
they  are  neither  large  nor  important  The  unhealthi- 
ness  of  the  country  not  only  prevents  colonization,  but 
also  retards  commercial  enterprises,  and  this  century  will 
probably  witness  little  change  on  the  Ivory  Coast.' 

The  next  port  was  Axim  on  the  Gold  Coast,  where 
there  are  several  gold  mines  just  being  opened  up  by 
English  companies.  Very  little  could  be  learned  by  our 
friends  on  the  Nubia  about  these  mines;  after  consider- 
able inquiry  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was 
an  abundance  of  gold,  but  owing  to  its  inaccessibility, 
and  the  unhealthmlness  of  the  climate,  much  earnest 
effort  would  be  needed  and  some  sacrifice  of  life  to  make 
its  mining  profitable ;  and  that  the  present  companies  paid 
more  attention  to  selling  stocks  and  drawing  salaries  than 
they  did  to  digging  out  the  gold  and  reducing  the  ores. 

The  Gold  Coast  extends  from  Cape  Appolonia  to  the 
River  Volta  and  presents  as  much  richness  and  variety  of 
scenery  as  can,  perhaps,  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world. 
Hills  of  every  conceivable  form  and  outline  rise  from  the 
water,  and  verdant  fields  in  graceful  undulations  stretch 
away  toward  the  interior ;  while  forests  of  palms  and 

105 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

other  tropical  trees  lend  variety  to  a  landscape  which  is  a 
constant  delight  and  of  which  the  eye  never  tires.  It  is 
indeed  a  beautiful  land,  and,  if  adapted  to  the  constitution 
of  the  white  race,  could  be  made  almost  a  paradise. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  towns  and  villages  on  this 
part  of  the  coast  is  scarcely  less  striking  and  varied.  We 
find  no  more  circular  huts  such  as  \ve  saw  on  the  Kru 
coast,  but  comparatively  large  quadrangular  houses  with 
clay  walls,  occasionally  two  stories  in  height.  The 
appearance  of  these  towns  is  rendered  still  more  imposing 
by  the  presence  of  large  European  forts  in  their  imme- 
diate vicinity.  These  forts  were  built  more  than  three 
hundred  years  ago  by  the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  Danish,  Prus- 
sian and  English  governments,  and  number  altogether 
not  less  than  twenty-five.  These  forts  were  erected  to 
protect  the  trade  in  gold-dust  and  slaves,  the  latter  of 
which  was  particularly  profitable.  Only  a  few  of  these 
forts  are  now  kept  in  repair  and  they  have  nearly  all 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English  who  have  established 
a  sort  of  protectorate  over  the  country. 

These  remarks  apply  only  to  the  coast,  for  nowhere 
have  towns  or  stations  been  formed  in  their  interior,  and 
such  a  thing  as  a  carriage  road  or  a  railway  does  not  exist. 
Missionary  operations  are  carried  on  almost  solely  by 
English  and  German  societies,  and  with  fair  average  suc- 
cess. If  the  climate  were  such  that  missionaries  and 
their  families  could  live  in  the  country  for  a  lifetime,  and 
their  efforts  were  not  counteracted  by  the  lives  of  irrelig- 
ious white  men,  in  a  century  or  two  the  whole  continent 
might  be  converted  to  Christ.  This,  however,  is  sup- 
posing what  cannot  be,  and  so  the  influence  of  the  Gos- 
pel, though  it  is  sure  to  prevail  in  the  end,  will  conquer 
only  by  slow,  and  oftentimes  by  painful  degrees. 

*  106 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

There  was  no  opportunity  for  our  friends  to  go  ashore 
at  Axini,  but  they  were  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  two  pho- 
tographs by  a  native  artist,  which  appear  in  this  volume. 

The  people  of  the  Gold  Coast  are  quite  different  from 
the  natives  of  the  Grain  and  Ivory  Coasts.  The}-  have 
not  the  fine  muscular  development,  the  manly,  independ- 
ent gait,  or  the  frank,  open  countenance  of  the  Kru-men ; 
but  they  have  more  of  a  mechanical  turn,  and  possess 
more  of  the  comforts  of  life.  Thus,  while  the  Kru-men  go 
in  gangs  to  various  parts  of  the  coast  to  act  as  porters  and 
day  laborers,  the  men  of  the  Gold  Coast  go  in  smaller 
numbers  to  work  as  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  stokers,  tai- 
lors and  jack-washers. 

Slavery  exists  not  only  here,  but  everywhere  upon 
the  West  coast ;  and  as  society  is  now  constituted,  it  is  a 
necessity.  Here,  as  well  as  in  Christian  lands,  there  is  a 
criminal  population  ;  the  Christian  nations  build  prisons 
and  shut  the  vicious  up  in  them ;  the  Pagan  African  sells 
him  for  a  slave,  where  he  can  have  a  certain  amount  of  free- 
dom, but  must  do  some  work  and  submit  to  the  will  of  an- 
other. Of  course,  while  African  slavery  is  not  so  severe  as 
American  slavery,  yet  it  is  an  evil  and  gives  rise  to  many 
abuses.  One  of  these  is  the  system  of  pawning,  now  very- 
general  wherever  that  trade  is  carried  on.  It  is  not  the 
genius  of  the  African  to  buy  and  sell  on  his  own  account, 
so  as  to  be  the  absolute  owner  of  the  goods  he  deals  in ;  but 
rather  to  get  goods  on  trust  from  some  white  man,  trust 
them  out  to  his  friends,  and  they  in  turn  to  their  friends, 
until  at  last  the  producer  is  reached ;  even  he  gets  the 
goods  first,  and  goes  to  gather  the  oil  and  rubber  after- 
wards. 

Now,  when  a  white  man  makes  a  loan  he  wants  col- 
lateral ;  just  so  the  black  man.  The  white  man  gives 

107  • 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

bonds,  mortgages,  stocks,  or  the  name  of  his  friend ;  the 
black  fellow  gives  a  wife,  a  child,  or  a  poor  relation. 
Like  collateral  in  civilized  lands,  these  may  not  be  sold 
until  the  debt  becomes  due  and  there  is  small  chance  of 
repayment ;  in  the  meantime  the  human  security  is  called 
a  "pawn,"  which  is  virtually  the  same  as  slave.  Some- 
times a  man  even  pawns  himself  in  order  that  he  may 
obtain  an  advance  of  goods^  Slaves,  if  well-behaved,  are 
permitted  to  marry  and  have  their  own  homes,  and  even 
to  own  other  slaves  themselves ;  and  so  long  as  they  are 
worked  moderately  and  treated  kindly  they  have  little 
cause  for  dissatisfaction  with  their  lot. 

The  next  morning  the  Nubia  anchored  off  Elmina, 
a  town  founded  by  the  Portuguese  in  1471,  twenty-one 
years  before  America  was  discovered,  and  called  Oro  de  la 
Mina,  or  the  Gold  Mine,  because  the  natives  brought  so 
much  gold  for  sale.  It  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  Dutch,  and  quite  recently  has  been  transferred  to 
England.  The  town  was  once  well  built,  but  has  now 
fallen  into  decay  and  presents  many  picturesque  ruins 
which  are  well  worthy  of  a  visit.  Our  friends  would 
gladly  have  taken  a  little  run  ashore,  but  there  was 
scarcely  time  to  do  so,  and  besides  it  was  Sunday  and  they 
did  not  feel  it  was  right  to  go  sight-seeing  on  the  Sabbath. 

Eight  miles  farther  on  was  Cape  Coast  Castle  where 
passengers  as  well  as  mails  were  to  be  put  ashore,  and  also 
a  few  parcels  for  the  governor.  The  surf  here,  as  else- 
where on  the  African  coast,  is  very  heavy  and  is  justly 
dreaded  by  strangers,  especially  those  who  do  not  enjoy 
a  drenching.  Mr.  Stanley,  in  his  "  Coomassie  and  Mag- 
dala,"  says,  "It  was  no  light  matter  to  have  forgotten  the 
oil  for  the  engines,  neither  was  it  a  light  matter  to  send  a 
boat  back  through  that  awful  surf,  which  the  English 

108 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

have  left  to  be  a  curse  and  an  annoyance  to  all  who  seek 
this  part  of  the  Gold  Coast.  In  coming  through  the  fran- 
tic surf  we  had  both  been  drenched  to  the  skin  by  a  vic- 
ious wave,  which  had  simply  wetted  us  for  spite,  though 
it  might  have  drowned  us  had  we  submitted  the  boat  to 
its  power." 

The  same  writer,  in  speaking  of  the  town  of  Cape 
Coast,  says,  "  I  have  been  wandering  through  Cape  Coast 
Castle.  Now,  behold  the  town  of  Cape  Coast,  like  a 
smouldering  volcano,  blazing  and  burning  and  smoking 
in  the  hollows  between  the  seven  hills,  domed  by  a  sky 
of  brass  seven  times  heated  by  fire."  Upon  the  unpro- 
tected parts  of  the  Nubia's  deck  the  sun  shone  with  blis- 
tering force,  but  under  the  double  canvas,  fanned  by  the 
gentle  breeze  it  was  most  delightful  to  sit  in  the  comfor- 
table willow  chairs  and  read  or  sleep  as  one  might  feel 
inclined.  Our  friends  were  quite  willing  to  remain  upon 
their  floating  home,  and  they  concluded  that  very  likely 
Cape  Coast  looked  better  at  a  distance  than  it  might  upon 
a  nearer  acquaintance. 

Cape  Coast  is  the  port  of  entry  for  the  great  negro 
kingdom  of  Ashantee  which  lies  some  distance  in  the 
interior  beyond  the  Prah  river.  After  lunch  the  Captain 
joined  the  Ogowe  Band  upon  the  deck  and  related  some 
reminiscences  of  the  Ashantee  war  in  1873-4.  "During 
the  time  the  war  was  in  progress,"  said  the  Captain,  "we 
were  so  full  of  passengers  we  scarcely  knew  where  to  put 
them,  and  indeed  several  of  our  ships  were  chartered  to 
bring  nothing  but  men  and  stores  for  the  army.  Those 
were  busy  days  and  profitable  ones,  too,  for  the  steamers ; 
but  we  had  more  passengers  coming  out  than  going 
home,  for  many  a  fine  young  lad  fell  a  victim  to  the  fever 
and  dysentery  and  never  saw  home  and  friends  again. 

109 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

Although  our  side  was  victorious,  the  war  was  fruitful  of 
no  good  results.  The  Ashantees  ought  to  be  our  allies 
and  not  our  enemies ;  with  them  we  might  penetrate  to  the 
heart  of  the  Soudan,  and  by  building  a  railroad  we  might 
bring  down  an  immense  quantity  of  produce,  while  at 
present  we  get  almost  nothing.  A  little  gold  dust  is 
brought  from  Ashantee,  and  some  palm-oil  from  the 
coast  districts,  but  the  amount  is  small." 

"Coomassie,  the  capital  of  Ashantee,"  added  the 
Doctor,  "  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  coast, 
and  is  built  upon  the  side  of  a  large  rocky  hill  of  iron- 
stone; and,  with  its  suburbs,  contains  one  hundred 
thousand  inhabitants.  More  than  half  of  this  number 
reside  in  plantations  within  two  or  three  miles  of  the 
town,  as  the  higher  classes  could  not  support  their  numer- 
ous followers  (or  the  lowest  their  large  families),  in  the 
city,  and  therefore  employ  them  on  the  farms,  where  they 
can  raise  food  both  for  themselves  and  for  their  masters. 

"Coomassie  is  more  than  four  miles  in  circumference, 
with  streets  crossing  at  right  angles.  The  King's  com- 
pound is  situated  on  a  long  and  wide  street  running 
through  the  middle  of  the  town,  and  is  enclosed  by  a 
high  wall  which  runs  back  to  a  marsh.  There  is  a  large 
market-place  and  back  of  this  is  a  small  grove  called  Sam- 
monpone,  or  the  Spirit  House,  because  the  bodies  of  all 
the  human  victims  are  thrown  into  it.  The  bloody 
tracks,  daily  renewed,  show  the  various  directions  from 
which  they  have  been  dragged,  and  the  number  of  vul- 
tures on  the  trees  indicate  the  extent  of  the  sacrifice. 
The  stench  is  almost  insupportable,  and  the  place  is 
nightly  visited  by  panthers  and  other  animals.  Over  one 
thousand  slaves  are  butchered  annually  '  for  custom,'  as 
the  Ashantees  say,  while  upon  the  death  of  some  great 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

personage  as  many  as  two  or  three  hundred  are  killed  at 
one  time.  One  of  the  common  sayings  of  the  king  is, 
'  By  the  slaughter  of  one  hundred  shall  I  be  able  to  pro- 
duce a  thousand.' 

"The  markets  in  Coomassie  are  held  daily  from  eight 
A.  M.  to  sunset.  Among  the  articles  offered  for  sale  are 
the  flesh  of  the  wild-hog,  deer  and  monkey ;  also  yams, 
plantains,  rice,  peppers,  bananas ;  and  salt,  dried  fish,  and 
smoked  snails." 

The  Judge  thanked  the  Captain  and  the  Doctor  for 
their  information,  and  remarked  that  he  was  quite  satisfied 
to  do  his  marketing  in  New  York. 

Frank  inquired  if  gold  was  found  as  far  up  the 
country  as  Coomassie,  and  the  Captain  replied  that  it  was. 
"There  are  valuable  mines  in  the  hills  near  the  city," 
said  he,  "and  even  the  sands  of  the  streets  are  full  of  small 
particles  of  gold." 

"Are  the  Ashantees  brave  soldiers?"  asked  Grant. 

"Yes,"  said  the  Doctor,  "give  the  Ashantees  the  same 
weapon,  such  as  the  breech-loading  Sniders  which  the 
English  troops  have,  and  they  will  find  them  a  foe  worthy 
of  their  best  efforts." 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  Nubia 
steamed  away  from  Cape  Coast  and  at  sundown  anchored 
at  Accra. 

One  of  the  unpleasant  experiences  in  traveling  by 
steamer  is  that  there  is  no  Sunday ;  work  goes  on  just 
the  same  as  other  days.  It  is  true  some  captains  try  to 
have  less  washing  and  scrubbing  done,  and  give  their 
men  a  little  time  to  themselves;  but  when  working 
the  ports  there  is  no  distinction  made  between  the  Sab- 
bath and  the  other  days  of  the  week.  When  crossing  the 
ocean  of  course  the  ship  must  keep  right  on,  but  when 

in 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

coasting  or  lying  in  port,  the  reason  usually  given  is  the 
true  one,  viz :  that  the  ship  costs  so  much  per  day  and 
they  must  work  on  Sunday  to  save  that  day's  expense. 

It  may  be  a  question  worth  considering,  whether 
God's  blessing  may  not  be  worth  as  much  in  dollars  and 
cents  as  the  sum  total  of  the  work  done  on  Sunday.  In 
a  certain  town  in  New  Jersey  there  were  three  principal 
mercantile  establishments ;  one  of  these  closed  up  tight  on 
Sunday  and  would  not  sell  five  cents'  worth  of  tobacco  to 
accommodate  the  best  customer  the  concern  had.  The 
other  two  would  open  the  back  door  "just  for  accommo- 
dation," and  this  sometimes  was  pretty  often.  Nothing 
happened  for  some  years,  but  in  the  end  the  first  concern 
made  money  and  has  it  yet ;  of  the  other  two,  one  broke 
and  paid  twenty-five  cents  to  the  dollar  and  never  was 
able  to  start  again ;  the  second  dwindled  down  to  nothing 
and  went  out  of  existence. 

It  may,  at  first  sight,  seem  strange  that  such  results 
should  follow  from  such  apparently  slight  causes ;  but  let 
us  suppose  there  is  an  ever  present  personal  Spirit,  who 
sees  all  things  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  human  action. 
Suppose,  too,  this  personal  Spirit  to  be  an  active,  movring 
agent  in  all  second  causes,  working  in  them  and  through 
them  with  resistless  power,  yet  slowly  and  silently,  to 
accomplish  His  purposes.  Suppose  He  has  given  certain 
rules  to  guide  human  conduct  and  is  very  jealous  of  the 
way  in  which  His  commands  are  received  and  treated  by 
men.  Suppose  one  of  these  commands  is  to  "  Remember 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy  " ;  will  it  pay  to  obey  such 
a  command?  Will  it  be  safe  to  disobey  it? 

It  was  a  lovely  Sabbath  afternoon,  and  Accra  pre- 
sented an  inviting  appearance  as  the  setting  sun  threw  its 
rays  aslant  the  white  cliffs  and  whitewashed  walls  of  the 

112 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

town.  The  land  about  Accra  is  singularly  devoid  of  veg- 
etation ;  from  the  face  of  the  cliff  upon  which  the  town 
is  built,  the  ground  slopes  back  to  a  lagoon.  This  strip 
of  plain  country  is  covered  with  bunches  of  cactus,  thorns 
and  grass.  There  is  a  scarcity  of  good  drinking  water  in 
Accra,  and  large  cisterns  are  built  to  catch  the  water  dur- 
ing the  rainy-season  and  preserve  it  for  iise  during  the 
rest  of  the  year.  The  town  is  ill-planned  and  many  of 
the  buildings  are  going  to  decay.  The  trade  is  in  palm- 
oil,  gold-dust  and  gum-copal,  with  a  few  monkey  skins 
and  other  products  of  the  forest. 

Away  to  the  right  in  a  cocoa-nut  grove  is  the  Basle 
Mission,  the  best  known  of  any  mission  on  the  African 
coast.  This  Mission  has  undertaken  to  civilize  as  well 
as  Christianize  the  African.  Pupils  in  their  schools  are 
taught  carpentering,  blacksmithing,  brick-laying,  and 
other  handicrafts,  as  well  as  reading,  writing  and  arith- 
metic; and  trade  is  carried  on  with  the  natives  as  well. 
There  is  a  store  or  shop  where  workmen  are  paid  in 
goods;  and  cloth,  tobacco,  soap  and  other  necessaries 
are  exchanged  for  palm-oil,  monkey  skins,  etc.  Much 
good  is  doubtless  done  in  this  way,  but  very  naturally  the 
secular  department  absorbs  most  of  the  time  and  attention. 
Those  who  place  a  high  value  upon  civilization  as  distinct 
from  Christianity,  are  loud  in  the  praises  of  these  indus- 
trial schools ;  but  those  who  value  more  highly  spiritual 
results,  have  not  been  found  so  favorably  disposed  toward 
them. 

These  Swiss  and  German  brethren  have  some  cus- 
toms that  may  appear  to  us  a  little  singular.  The  men 
are  obliged  to  come  out  unmarried ;  when,  after  a  resi- 
dence of  a  year  or  two  permission  to  marry  is  obtained, 
the  selection  is  made  by  the  Society  at,  home  from  a  list 

vii  113 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

of  "waiting,  willing  ones,"  and  the  fair  candidate  is 
shipped  by  the  first  steamer,  consigned  to  the  head  of  the 
Mission.  Immediately  on  arrival  she  must  marry  the 
man  for  whom  she  was  intended,  whether  she  likes  him 
or  not,  and  this  without  any  previous  acquaintance. 
Occasionally  these  hasty  unions  turn  out  to  be  happy 
ones,  and  in  any  case  they  must  make  the  best  of  it,  just 
as  people  must  do  everywhere  else  in  the  world. 

The  Judge  and  his  young  friends  desired  very  much 
to  attend  the  evening  services  at  the  Mission,  but  the  surf 
is  so  extremely  dangerous  that  the  Captain  was  not  will- 
ing they  should  go  ashore. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  canoes  and  surf-boats 
came  off  to  the  steamer  bringing  passengers  for  ports  far- 
ther south ;  these  were  mostly  carpenters,  masons  and  jack- 
washers,  many  of  whom  had  received  their  training  at 
the  Basle  Mission.  A  few  of  these  were  accompanied  by 
their  wives,  but  mostly  they  left  these  behind  and  formed 
temporary  alliances  with  others  in  the  places  where  they 
wrent  to  work.  Here  then  was  one  of  the  fruits  of  indus- 
trial schools;  it  created  a  surplus  of  mechanical  labor, 
which  went  abroad  to  seek  employment  and  in  doing  so 
destroyed  home  life. 

Captain  Davis  did  not  wait  very  long,  but  as  soon  as 
he  could  get  his  passengers  on  board  he  steamed  away  for 
Whydah,  the  port  of  the  kingdom  of  Dahomy,  which 
place  was  reached  soon  after  sundown.  Dahomy  is  the 
rival  of  Ashantee  among  the  negro  kingdoms,  and  is  if 
possible  more  brutal  and  cruel  than  the  latter  nation.  Its 
army  is  composed  largely  of  women,  who  are  even  more 
fierce  and  bloodthirsty  than  the  men.  It  is  not  an  invit- 
ing country  and  our  young  travelers  were  not  sorry  to 
hear  the  Nubia  was  to  remain  but  an  hour  or  so. 


114 


IVORY  COAST  AND  GOLD  COAST 

Next  morning  at  breakfast-time  the  steamer  came  to 
anchor  off  the  entrance  to  Lagos,  a  large  town  built  on  a 
low  marshy  island  in  a  lagoon  that  is  connected  by  back 
creeks  with  the  Niger  delta.  It  is  an  English  colony  and 
has  a  large  and  flourishing  trade.  The  houses  can 
scarcely  be  seen  from  the  anchorage  which  is  a  long  way 
out,  for  the  bar  is  the  most  dangerous  one  on  the  West 
coast  and  is  justly  dreaded.  A  small  steamer,  built 
expressly  for  the  purpose,  comes  out  at  a  certain  stage  of 
the  tide  and  takes  off  passengers  and  freight. 

Lagos  was  once  the  head-quarters  of  the  slave  trade 
for  the  Niger  region ;  but  this  nefarious  traffic  has  no'w 
ceased  and  palm-oil  and  kernels  have  taken  its  place. 

Inland  from  Lagos  is  the  kingdom  of  Yoruba,  of 
which  the  capital  is  Abeokuta,  a  city  surrounded  by  a 
wall  and  possessing  a  considerable  degree  of  civilization. 
This  city  is  the  scene  of  labor  of  Bishop  Crowther,  a  very 
uncommon  man,  both  on  account  of  his  eminent  piety, 
and  his  high  intellectual  qualifications.  He  is  a  native  of 
this  country  and  was  sold  as  a  slave  at  Badagry,  in  1822. 
The  vessel  on  which  he  was  embarked  was  captured  by 
an  English  man-of-war  and  taken  to  Sierra  Leone.  Here 
young  Crowther  received  a  good  education,  was  converted, 
and  became  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  After  a  time  he 
returned  to  his  native  country  and  has  ever  since  been 
most  active  in  preaching  and  in  organizing  churches 
among  his  fellow-countrymen. 

After  mails  and  passengers  had  been  put  on  board  the 
small  steamer  that  came  out  from  Lagos,  the  Nubia 
resumed  her  voyage,  and  on  Wednesday  morning  crossed 
the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bonny  river,  and  anchored 
abreast  of  the  English  trading  stations. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO. 


HE  great  Niger  river  forms  a  large  delta  and 
empties  through  six  smaller  rivers  into  the 
Gulf  of  Guinea.  These  are  called  the  Opobo, 
Akassa,  Brass,  Benin,  Bonny  and  New  Cal- 
abar ;  of  these  the  Bonny  is  perhaps  the  best 
known  and  has  the  best  bar  at  its  mouth.  The  entrance 
to  the  Bonny  river  is  simply  a  break  in  the  sandy  key 
which  acts  as  a  breakwater  against  the  heavy  surf;  inside, 
a  vast  swamp  stretches  away  on  every  side.  The  low 
islands,  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  mangroves  and 
other  water  loving  trees,  are  surrounded  by  wide  reaches 
of  water  which  expose  mud-banks  at  low  tide,  but  with 
a  deep,  crooked  channel  winding  among  them. 

Until  recently  it  was  not  thought  possible  for  white 
men  to  live  on  shore,  and  trade  was  carried  on  upon  what 
were  called  "  hulks."  Ships  that  had  grown  too  old  to  be 
safe  in  rough  weather,  were  purchased  at  a  low  price  and 
sailed  out  in  the  summer  season ;  on  arrival  they  were 
stripped  of  sails  and  spars,  covered  with  a  roof  and  used 
as  a  permanent  trading-station.  The  necessity  for  more 

116 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

room  at  length  compelled  the  largest  firms  to  try  what 
might  be  done  ashore.  Piles  were  driven  in  the  mud  so 
as  to  enclose  a  space,  and  ship-loads  of  sand  and  gravel 
were  brought  to  cover  the  mud  and  fill  in  this  enclosed 
space,  and  on  this  "  made-ground  "  buildings  were  erected. 
Three  establishments  are  now  on  shore,  and  two  still 
occupy  hulks. 

The  shore  stations  are  surrounded  by  a  sea  of  black 
mud,  except  on  the  side  next  the  river,  where  the  mud  is 
of  course  covered  with  water.  Strange  as  it  may  seem, 
this  apparently  pestilential  spot  is  less  unhealthful  than 
Sierra  Leone  which  seems  to  be  so  delightfully  situated. 
There  is  a  wide-spread  opinion  prevalent  upon  the  African 
coast,  that  standing  water  absorbs  the  malaria,  and  this 
opinion  appears  to  be  borne  out  by  facts.  It  is  thought  to 
be  much  better  to  sleep  on  ship-board  than  to  sleep  on 
shore;  yet  in  places  like  Bonny,  where  some  sleep  on 
hulks  and  some  on  shore,  no  perceptible  difference  is  seen 
in  the  health  of  the  two  classes. 

The  whole  subject  relating  to  malaria  is  a  great  puz- 
zle, and  the  probabilities  are  that  no  one  knows  what  it 
is,  or  what  is  the  cause  of  it.  True,  wiseacres  are  not 
infrequently  met,  who  can  tell  you  all  about  it  and  lay 
down  iron-clad  rules  for  its  operation  in  any  given  set  of 
circumstances;  but  facts  are  usually  against  them,  and 
besides  that,  they  do  not  agree  among  themselves. 

Until  this  time  no  cargo  had  been  taken  from  the 
Nubia ;  mails  and  passengers  had  been  landed,  together 
with  a  number  of  parcels,  but  now  the  real  business  of 
the  voyage  was  to  begin,  and  our  young  travelers  watched 
with  eager  interest  the  preparations  for  hoisting  the  cargo 
out  of  the  hold  and  putting  it  over  the  side.  A  heavy 
spar  was  rigged  to  each  mast  in  such  a  way  that  the  upper 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

end  was  directly  over  the  hatchway.  A  small  steam- 
engine  called  a  "winch,"  turned  an  iron  drum  over  which 
a  heavy  chain  was  tightly  wound ;  this  chain  ran  along  the 
under  side  of  the  spar,  and  then  over  a  wheel  at  its  end, 
and  so  hung  down  through  the  hatchway  into  the  hold. 

The  ship's  Kru-boys  were  divided  into  two  gangs, 
one  of  which  worked  the  forward  hatch,  and  the  other 
the  after  hatch.  These  nimble  fellows  clambered  over  the 
piles  of  bales  and  boxes  in  the  dark  hold,  selecting  such 
as  were  marked  for  Bonny,  and  fastened  them  to  the  chain 
which  drew  them  forth  and  deposited  them  on  deck. 
The  rattle  of  the  steam-winches  and  chains,  the  shouts  of 
the  workmen,  who  always  do  best  when  making  a  noise, 
and  the  bustle  and  excitement  of  working  cargo,  made  an 
animated  scene  that  was  highly  entertaining  to  our  friends. 

As  soon  as  the  Nubia  came  to  anchor,  boats  put  off 
from  the  trading-posts,  to  bring  the  agents  on  board  to 
get  their  mails  and  hear  the  news.  These  gentlemen 
were  dressed  in  white  linen  and  their  faces  were  bleached 
by  the  fever  as  white  as  their  clothes ;  they  were  polite 
and  gentlemanly,  and  were  men  of  ability  and  experience. 
After  a  private  chat  with  the  Captain  they  returned  to 
their  places  of  business,  and  soon  their  white  assistants 
came  off  with  surf-boats  and  large  lighters  to  get  the  cargo. 

These  lighters  can  carry  as  much  as  six  or  eight 
tons,  and  are  not  propelled  by  oars  reaching  out  from 
either  side,  but  two  or  three  oars  extend  over  the  stern, 
and  are  worked  back  and  forth  in  a  fashion  known  as 
sculling.  Our  friends  were  surprised  to  see  such  great 
boats  forced  through  the  water  by  what  appeared  to  be 
wholly  inadequate  means.  When  these  boats  came  along- 
side, the  cargo  was  hoisted  over  the  side  and  let  down  in 
them,  and  when  they  were  full  they  were  towed  ashore. 

118 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

The  tide  is  strong  in  all  the  African  rivers  and  the 
time  consumed  in  sculling  a  loaded  boat  ashore  is  so 
great  that  not  more  than  two  loads  a  day  is  taken  by  each 
boat,  and  oftentimes  when  there  is  some  detention,  not 
more  than  one.  To  save  time  the  steamers  now  carry  a 
small  steam  launch,  which  is  put  over  the  side  at  every 
port  and  is  used  to  tow  these  heavy  laden  boats  ashore ;  by 
this  means  four  loads  a  day  may  be  taken  by  each  boat. 

But  other  visitors  came  besides  the  traders.  Quite  a 
fleet  of  canoes  was  presently  gathered  around  the  good 
ship.  Their  owners  brought  plantains,  bananas,  yams, 
pine-apples  and  dried  fish  for  sale  to  the  native  passengers ; 
and  mats,  baskets  and  other  curiosities  to  sell  to  the  white 
ones.  These  baskets  and  mats  were  wholly  of  native 
manufacture  and  were  quite  interesting  and  curious.  The 
Judge  thought  it  well  to  buy  a  few  table  mats,  as  they 
could  be  packed  in  their  trunks  without  taking  too  much 
room,  and  so  each  of  the  Band  took  a  dozen.  The  pine- 
apples and  bananas  were  not  of  a  good  quality,  and  as 
they  are  not  thought  to  be  altogether  wholesome,  espec- 
ially for  new-comers,  it  was  decided  to  let  them  entirely 
alone.  The  Doctor  told  them  that,  strange  as  it  might 
seem,  peppers  were  more  wholesome  in  Africa  than  pine- 
apples. 

The  men  who  brought  the  mats  for  sale  spoke 
English  fairly  well,  and  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  from  the 
Judge  they  stated  that  they  had  been  educated  in  the  mis- 
sion school ;  indeed  the  Judge  had  already  noticed  that  at 
all  the  ports  where  they  had  called,  English  was  the  me- 
dium of  communication  between  all  the  passengers  and 
the  coast  natives. 

While  bargaining  for  the  mats  a  great  drumming 
was  heard,  and  on  looking  out  over  the  water  a  large 

119 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

canoe  full  of  men  was  seen  approaching,  with  flags  at 
either  end,  and  a  great  umbrella  of  many  bright  colors, 
in  the  middle. 

"  O,  what  a  gorgeous  umbrella !"  exclaimed  Mamie. 

"  It  reminds  me  of  Joseph's  coat,"  responded  Robbie. 

The  canoe  bore  down  on  the  steamer  with  much 
beating  of  tom-toms  and  wild  singing  of  the  crew,  until 
it  came  alongside  the  ladder,  when  the  owner  came  on 
deck  and  introduced  himself  as  one  of  the  head  men 
among  the  people.  He  was  not  the  "king,"  as  the  most 
influential  chief  is  called,  but  the  head  of  one  of  the 
leading  families,  and  a  trader. 

He  spoke  good  English,  and  in  answer  to  inquiries 
from  the  Judge  he  said  he  had  twenty-seven  wives,  over 
fifty  children,  and  he  did  not  know  how  many  slaves,  but 
more  than  two  hundred.  He  said  most  of  these  slaves. 
lived  on  little  plantations  in  charge  of  his  wives,  and  that 
they  raised  the  food  needed  for  the  entire  family.  For 
himself,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  on  trading  expeditions. 
He  took  powder,  guns,  rum,  gin,  tobacco,  and  other 
goods,  in  a  large  canoe  and  then  his  slaves  paddled  two  or 
three  days'  journey  up  the  river  to  the  town  of  one  of  his 
friends,  and  there  he  remained  until  enough  oil  was  gath- 
ered to  purchase  his  stock  in  trade ;  when  he  returned, 
sold  the  oil  to  the  white  men,  rested  awhile  in  his  town, 
and  started  away  on  another  expedition. 

In  reply  to  the  inquiry  as  to  what  he  did  when  his 
slaves  would  not  obey  him,  he  said  he  killed  them  when 
they  needed  it. 

"Why  don't  you  become  a  Christian?"  asked  the 
Judge. 

"Yes,  I  Christian  now,  this  time,"  he  replied,  "no- 
more,  I  be  trade-man  too." 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

The  Judge  expressed  his  surprise  and  the  man  con- 
tinued. "  What's  the  matter,  you  white  men  you  no  be 
Christian  and  trade-man  all  same  time?" 

Hereupon  the  Judge  explained  some  of  the  require- 
ments of  the  Christian  life,  but  this  representative  of  one 
of  the  "leading  families  of  Bonny"  remarked  that, 
u  white  man  was  not  all  the  same  like  black  man,"  and 
thereupon  took  his  departure. 

A  little  while  after  lunch  a  very  intelligent  and  gen- 
tlemanly man  came  on  board  and  was  introduced  by 
the  Captain  to  Judge  McGee  as  Archdeacon  Crowther. 
After  an  hour  of  pleasant  conversation  the  Archdeacon 
invited  our  friends  to  take  a  little  run  ashore  and  pay  him 
a  visit,  and  the  invitation  was  promptly  accepted.  The 
Captain  placed  his  gig  at  the  disposal  of  the  Judge  and 
sent  them  away  in  tow  of  the  steam  launch. 

The  cool  sea-breeze  was  now  blowing  and  it  tempered 
the  heat  so  that  the  trip  was  a  delightful  one,  although 
they  found  it  much  warmer  on  shore  than  under  the  awn- 
ing on  the  ship.  It  was  about  half  tide  and  much  mud 
near  the  shore  was  exposed,  sending  up  a  strong  effluvium 
as  it  lay  exposed  to  the  sun's  rays.  Upon  arriving  oppo- 
site the  mission  landing  the  launch  went  back  to  its  work, 
and  the  Kru-boys  got  out  and  carried  each  passenger 
through  the  water  and  mud  to  the  shore,  as  if  they  had 
been  so  many  babies. 

It  was  rather  startling  to  see  so  dignified  a  gentle- 
man as  the  Judge  carried  like  a  child,  and  it  certainly 
destroys  all  appearance  of  dignity ;  but  it  is  better  than 
wading  through  the  water,  and  so  is  the  usual  fashion  on 
the  coast.  Some  sit  on  a  Kru-boy's  shoulders  with  their 
legs  astride  his  neck,  and  hold  on  to  his  wool  to  balance 
themselves ;  but  it  is  an  unsteady  position  and  new-comers 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

are  safer  to  be  carried  in  arms,  as  our  friends  were  on  this 
occasion. 

The  mission  premises  are  not  more  than  a  foot  or 
two  above  the  water-level  and  the  ground  is  soft  and 
springy.  Mrs.  Crowther,  like  her  husband,  a  native 
African,  gave  her  guests  a  cordial  welcome  and  made 
many  inquiries  about  their  journey.  She  wras  a  highly 
cultivated  and  refined  lady,  and,  with  her  husband,  a  good 
example  of  what  the  African  race  may  become.  Pres- 
ently tea  and  sweet  crackers  were  served  and  then  the 
Archdeacon  took  his  guests  out  to  see  the  fine  new 
church  recently  erected.  Mr.  Crowther  told  the  Judge 
the  house  was  filled  every  Sabbath,  and  that  mission  work 
was  making  commendable  progress,  not  only  in  Bonny, 
but  up  the  Niger  river.  Yet  the  light  penetrates  slowly, 
for  the  depravity  of  the  negro  races  is  great,  and  the  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  are  opposed  to  the  degraded  in- 
stincts of  the  African  savage. 

After  inspecting  the  church  Mr.  Crowther  led  the 
way  along  a  narrow  foot-path,  that  in  some  places  was 
little  better  than  a  quagmire,  to  a  village  of  the  Bonny 
people;  it  was  inexpressibly  filthy  and  they  did  not 
remain  long.  It  was  a  matter  of  surprise  to  the  Ogowe 
Band  that  any  one. could  live  in  such  dirt  and  be  a  Chris- 
tian, or,  as  Laura  expressed  it,  "I  don't  wonder  these 
people  are  heathen." 

The  Archdeacon  told  them  the  villages  up-country 
were  much  better  than  this  one,  and  that  the  people  they 
saw  to-day  would  be  away  on  the  farms  in  a  week  or  two, 
and  others  would  come  and  take  their  places  for  awhile. 
"This  town  is  kept  up,"  said  he,  "mainly  because  it  is 
near  the  trading  stations." 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

On  their  return,  the  Judge  and  his  party  bade  the  kind 
Archdeacon  and  his  wife  adieu,  and  were  carried  out  to 
their  boat  and  went  up  the  river  to  have  a  look  at  the 
trader's  houses.  They  landed  near  the  end  of  a  large 
covered  wharf  and  walked  up  to  the  yard  where  men 
were  hooping  palm-oil  casks.  Here  they  met  a  very 
pleasant  gentleman  who  told  them  he  was  the  head  of  the 
telegraph  corps  and  he  invited  them  into  his  house. 

The  Judge  was  quite  surprised  to  learn  that  Bonny 
was  connected  with  Europe  by  a  sub-marine  cable.  This 
obliging  official  ordered  coffee  to  be  brought  in,  and  then 
explained  that  the  cable  extended  from  St.  Paul  de 
Loanda  to  St.  Thomas,  thence  to  Bonny,  Lagos,  Cape 
Coast  Castle,  Sierra  Leone,  Senegambia,  Canary  Islands, 
Madeira,  and  so  on  to  Lisbon  and  the  rest  of  Europe. 
Not  very  many  messages  were  sent  and  the  line  did  not 
pay,  but  it  \vas  hoped  it  might  by  and  by.  Our  friends 
thought  of  cabling  home,  but  the  expense  was  so  great 
that  the  idea  was  given  up. 

The  Ogowe  Band  went  into  the  operating  room  and 
were  surprised  to  learn  that  messages  were  not  sent  by 
sound,  but  by  sight ;  as  Hattie  expressed  it,  "  Real,  true 
flashes  of  lightning." 

The  Superintendent  explained  that  the  amount  of 
power  needed  to  operate  a  sounding  machine  was  more 
than  to  transmit  a  flash,  so  the  electric  spark  was  made  to 
pass  before  a  small  mirror,  and  by  observing  the  length 
of  the  flashes,  and  the  intervals  between  them,  the  oper- 
ator could  read  the  dispatch.  This  seemed  very  wonder- 
ful, as  indeed  it  really  is.  If  men,  possessed  of  such  feeble 
power  as  we  know  they  are,  can  send  messages  for  thou- 
sands of  miles,  what  may  not  free  spirits  be  able  to  do  in 
the  boundless  realms  of  space?  Who  can  say  they  may 

123 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

not  send  messages  to  our  dear  ones  in  the  "  far-away  home 
of  the  soul?"  So  thought  our  young  friends  as  they 
watched  the  little  sparks  of  electric  fire  flash  from  the 
positive  to  the  negative  pole  of  the  delicate  telegraphic 
instrument. 

It  was  now  sundown  and  the  Judge  and  his  young- 
friends  bade  the  kind  director  good-bye  and  returned  to 
the  Nubia.  The  cargo  that  had  been  unloaded  during 
the  day  had  consisted  of  guns,  powder,  cloth,  crockery, 
iron-pots,  rice,  salt  beef,  and  rum,  gin,  and  other  intoxi- 
cants. These  latter  compounds  had  made  up  about  one- 
half  in  bulk  of  the  whole.  The  Judge  had  read  much 
of  the  rum  trade  in  Africa,  but  he  was  surprised  to  see  so- 
great  an  amount  of  the  vile  stuff  unloaded  from  so 
respectable  a  steamer  as  the  Nubia. 

In  the  evening,  as  they  sat  upon  the  deck  enjoying 
the  cool  sea-breeze,  he  asked  Captain  Davis  to  tell  him 
something  about  the  rum  traffic.  He  was  not  long  in 
finding  out  this  was  an  unpleasant  topic.  So  much  has 
been  said  about  the  iniquity  of  the  African  rum  trade  that 
the  firms  at  home,  who  are  men  of  great  respectability  in 
the  communities  where  they  live,  are  irritated  and  an- 
noyed, and  all  those  who  are  in  any  way  connected  with 
this  trade  prefer  to  keep  very  quiet  about  it,  especially  in 
the  presence  of  those  whose  sensibilities  are  shocked  by 
the  disclosures  that  might  be  made. 

The  Captain  himself  was  a  teetotaler,  but  he  pre- 
ferred to  talk  on  some  other  subject  than  the  rum  traffic, 
although  it  was  not  difficult  to  see  what  he  thought  of  it. 
The  Judge  determined  to  keep  his  eyes  open,  see  what  he 
could  for  himself,  and  make  further  inquiries  of  his 
friends  when  he  reached  Gaboon. 


124 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

He  was  not  required  to  wait  long  for  an  example  of 
what  effect  it  had  upon  the  white-man.  Just  across  the 
passage  way  from  his  room  was  a  state-room  occupied  by 
a  trader  who  had  lived  for  some  years  on  the  coast.  This 
gentleman,  with  some  others,  went  to  one  of  the  hulks  to 
spend  a  social  evening  with  friends.  Late  in  the  night 
he  fell  overboard  and  for  some  unaccountable  reason  did 
not  sink,  but  floated  away  with  the  swift  ebb  tide.  The 
Kru-man  on  watch  on  the  hulk  half  a  mile  below,  saw  a 
dark  object  coining  down  the  river,  and  went  down  the 
ladder  to  have  a  nearer  view  of  it  as  it  passed.  It  came 
so  near  that  he  was  able  to  catch  it  with  his  hand,  and  by 
exerting  all  his  strength  he  drew  it  out  of  the  water  on 
the  grating.  He  gave  the  alarm  and  when  the  trader 
who  lived  on  this  hulk  was  aroused  from  his  sleep,  he 
ordered  out  his  gig  and  the  unconscious  visitor  was  rolled 
into  it  and  taken  to  the  Nubia ;  even  when  carried  into 
his  room  and  bundled  into  his  berth,  he  was  so  drunk  he 
did  not  know  what  had  happened  to  him !  A  more  won- 
derful escape  from  a  watery  grave  perhaps  was  never 
known. 

Why  men  should  drink  so  heavily  upon  the  West 
Coast  of  Africa,  is  hard  to  tell.  At  one  of  the  ports  a 
trader  was  dying.  In  the  evening,  when  work  was  fin- 
ished, all  the  other  traders  came  to  see  him,  and  as  there 
was  no  hope  of  his  recovery  they  decided  to  "give  him  a 
good  send  off."  They  got  him  out  of  bed  and  bolstered 
him  up  in  the  arm-chair  at  the  head  of  the  table  and 
made  him  "drink  to  the  occasion"  with  them.  They 
kept  on  drinking  until  one  by  one  they  slid  off  their 
chairs  under  the  table  in  a  drunken  mess  together,  and 
the  poor  dead  one  was  left  sitting  upright,  the  only  sober 
one  of  the  party. 

125 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

Stanley,  in  his  "Congo,"  says:  "The  evils  of  brandy 
and  soda  in  India  need  only  to  be  remembered  to  prove 
how  pernicious  is  the  suicidal  habit  of  indulgence  in 
drinking  of  alcoholic  liquors  in  hot  climates.  The  West 
Coast  of  Africa  is  also  too  much  indebted  to  the  ruin 
effected  by  intemperance.'"  One  would  think  there  were 
dangers  enough  in  African  life  without  inviting  sure 
destruction  by  indulgence  in  so  pernicious  a  habit. 

The  agents  at  Bonny  desired  a  portion  of  the  cargo 
put  ashore  at  another  post  farther  up  the  river  called  Boo- 
gahmah,  and  the  next  day  at  noon  the  Nubia  started  on 
her  way.  The  channel  was  crooked  and  wound  about 
among  mud  banks,  and  islands  covered  with  a  thick 
growth  of  mangroves.  Sometimes  the  steamer  went  so 
close  to  the  trees  that  the  sides  almost  touched  the  end  of 
the  branches.  It  was  a  strange  experience  to  be  steaming 
along  through  the  forest  and  the  Nubia  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  her  wild  ocean  home  as  she  picked  her  way 
through  the  thick  waters,  among  the  muddy  islands  of 
this  great  African  swamp. 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  deiighted,  for  although  the 
scenery  was  desolate  and  depressing  to  older  minds,  yet  to 
these  young  people  it  was  novel  and  full  of  interest. 
They  peered  among  the  mangrove  roots  and  into  the  for- 
est shades  in  hopes  of  seeing  a  few  stray  crocodiles ;  occa- 
sionally the  enormous  vines  hanging  from  the  trees  would 
appear  like  giant  pythons  or  boa-constrictors.  Now  and 
then  a  canoe  was  passed  hugging  the  bushes  closely  so  as 
not  to  be  too  near  the  great  ship,  and  the  half  naked 
negroes  would  look  up  in  wonder  at  the  great  vessel  that 
had  invaded  their  domains. 

A  mangrove  swamp  is  a  wild,  wierd,  desolate  waste, 
with  pestilential  odors  of  decaying  matter,  and  abandoned 

126 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

by  all  save  reptile  life ;  it  is  a  very  land  of  the  shadow  of 
death ;  without  any  order,  and  where  the  light  is  as  dark- 
ness— a  fit  emblem  of  that  land  of  everlasting  night 
where  all  the  filth  of  the  universe  is  to  be  drained  to  fes- 
ter and  ferment  throughout  the  eternal  ages.  Such  a  land 
is  the  fit  abode  of  the  evil  one,  and  our  friends  were  not 
surprised  at  the  stories  of  the  cruelty  which  these  black 
people  practice  on  each  other,  told  them  by  two  of  the 
Bonny  merchants  who  had  come  on  board  to  go  up  to 
Boogahmah  with  them. 

Sometimes  in  turning  a  short  corner  the  Nubia's 
engines  would  be  stopped  in  order  to  give  her  time  to 
swing  around,  and  the  lead  was  kept  going  all  the  while, 
but  they  got  along  without  any  accident,  thanks  to  Cap- 
tain Davis's  skill  as  a  navigator,  and  at  sundown  cast 
anchor  before  the  trading-posts  of  the  village  of  Boogah- 
mah. The  young  men  stationed  here  were  glad  to  see 
the  steamer  for  it  is  not  often  one  comes  up  so  far,  and 
they  came  off  at  once  to  hear  the  news  and  have  a  chat 
with  the  steamer  people. 

Boogahmah,  like  Bonny,  is  situated  in  a  swamp,  and 
our  friends  had  not  been  there  long  before  the  mosquitoes 
discovered  the  arrival  of  the  strangers,  and  came  on  board 
to  pay  their  respects.  No  one  has  yet  been  found  who 
appreciates  the  attention  of  this  frolicsome  little  insect ; 
he  may  sing  his  cheerful  song  never  so  sweetly,  so 
bewitchingly,  his  absence  will  yet  be  more  appreciated 
than  his  presence.  Africa  is  no  more  afflicted  with  this 
troublesome  pest  than  many  other  countries,  perhaps  even 
less  so,  but  at  Boogahmah  at  least  they  were  abundant  and 
they  made  it  lively  for  all  hands  throughout  the  night 

Friday  was  spent  in  landing  cargo  and  on  Saturday 
morning,  much  to  the  relief  of  our  young  friends  who 

127 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

saw  few  attractions  at  Boogalimah,  the  Nubia  returned 
to  Bonny,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  turned  her  prow  sea- 
ward. It  seemed  good  to  be  once  more  on  the  broad 
ocean,  with  the  pure,  cool  breeze  sweeping  the  deck, 
bringing  life  and  vigor  to  the  languid  frame,  and  feel  that 
the  swamps  and  their  malarious  exhalations  had  been  left 
behind. 

Sabbath  morning  dawned  calm  and  bright.  The  sun 
rose  in  majestic  splendor  from  behind  the  lofty  range  of 
the  Cameroons,  lighting  up  the  vapors  about  their  sum- 
mits with  a  glory  of  crimson  and  gold.  From  the  gor- 
geous coloring  of  the  skies  it  might  be  thought  that  some 
bright-winged  embassy  from  the  Spirit-land  had  come 
down  to  earth  with  glad  message  of  peace  and  good-will 
to  men.  Looking  heavenward  along  the  shining  path- 
way, one  could  fancy  that  "thinly  the  veil  intervened 
between  the  fair  city"  and  this  lower  world. 

On  the  starboard  bow  was  the  peak  of  Fernando  Po, 
lifting  its  forest-clad  head  more  than  ten  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea. 

Notwithstanding  the  throbbing  of  the  engines  a 
solemn  hush  had  settled  down  over  the  sea  as  if  the  calm 
and  silence  of  the  eternal  world  had  touched  the  earth  to 
give  a  slight  foretaste  of  the  Sabbath  of  Heaven.  A  long 
time  did  our  young  friends  remain  on  deck,  lost  in  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  nor  was  the  enchantment  broken  by 
any  word  or  remark. 

At  noon  the  Nubia  came  to  anchor  in  Clarence  Bay 
on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  island  of  Fernando  Po. 
This  bay  is  small,  but  the  water  is  deep  and  the  vessels  can 
lie  close  in  to  shore.  The  town  of  Clarence  is  an  insig- 
nificant place,  little  more  than  a  clearing  in  the  jungle,  and 
has  a  reputation  of  being  more  than  usually  unhealthy, 

128 


MY    NAME    HE    BE    PEA   SOUP1 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

especially  for  ladies.  Everywhere  the  vegetation  is  the 
richest  and  most  luxuriant  that  can  be  imagined ;  the 
cliffs  that  skirt  the  bay  are  covered  with  palms  and  vines 
in  the  greatest  profusion. 

An  hour  after  the  steamer's  arrival  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Luddington  came  off  and  after  an  introduction  from  Cap- 
tain Davis  and  a  friendly  chat,  invited  the  Judge  and  his 
party  to  come  ashore  and  spend  the  afternoon  with  him. 
The  invitation  was  thankfully  accepted  and,  as  the  Cap- 
tain loaned  his  gig,  all  the  young  folks  were  soon  safely 
landed  on  the  beach.  There  was  a  short  covered  pier 
with  steps,  which  made  the  landing  easy,  and  a  road  was 
cut  in  the  face  of  the  cliff  which  led  to  the  town  situated 
on  the  level  land  above.  The  Governor's  house,  Holt  & 
Co.'s  factory,  and  the  Spanish  mission,  are  the  most  pre- 
tentious buildings ;  the  English  Primitive  Methodist  Mis- 
sion-house is  a  pleasant  home-like  structure  of  wood  and 
galvanized  iron. 

Not  far  away  was  the  church  and  our  friends  were 
glad  to  hear  that  the  second  service  was  to  be  held  at  four 
p.  M.  and  they  would  be  able  to  attend ;  several  weeks  had 
passed  since  they  had  worshiped  in  God's  house  and  now 
the  opportunity  had  come  in  this  far  off  island  of  the  sea. 
Mr.  Luddington  informed  them  he  had  changed  the  time 
of  the  second  service  from  evening  to  afternoon,  so  that 
he  might  have  the  evening  for  rest,  otherwise  he  was  not 
able  to  sleep  that  night. 

Mrs.  Luddington  received  her  American  guests  with 
true  English  hospitality,  and  the  girls,  for  their  part, 
were  glad  enough  to  be  in  a  real  home  once  more.  Mrs. 
Luddington  showed  them  around  the  house  and  explained 
to  them  some  of  the  mysteries  of  tropical  housekeeping, 
and  her  management  of  her  girls. 

ix  129 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

In  the  cool,  pleasant  sitting-room  her  husband  was 
giving  the  Judge  some  account  of  the  island,  and  his 
troubles  with  the  Spanish  officials,  and  so  the  time  passed 
until  the  ringing  of  the  bell  announced  the  hour  for  serv- 
ice. About  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  "clothed  and 
in  their  right  minds,"  entered  and  reverently  took  their 
seats.  Mrs.  Luddington  presided  at  the  organ ;  the  hymns 
were  the  well  known  ones  of  Moody  and  Sankey,  and 
were  sung  with  a  heartiness  too  often  lacking  at  home. 
All  the  services  were  in  English,  which  is  preferred  by 
the  people  to  Spanish.  So  similar  were  the  services  to 
those  in  our  own  fair  land,  that  the  travelers  forgot  they 
were  far  away  from  home  and  when  the  benediction  had 
been  pronounced  they  almost  expected  to  look  out  and  see 
the  streets  and  pavements  of  their  native  city. 

The  people  of  Clarence  are  like  those  of  Sierra 
Leone,  a  conglomeration  from  all  parts  of  the  coast, 
and  call  themselves  Englishmen,  although  the  island 
belongs  to  Spain ;  but  the  natives  are  Boobies,  said  to  be 
the  lowest  and  most  ill-favored  of  all  the  human  race. 
Some  even  of  these  have  felt  the  power  of  the  gospel,  and 
are  earnest,  consistent  members  of  this  church.  The 
Judge  and  his  young  friends  were  introduced  to  several, 
and  it  needed  but  a  glance  at  their  faces  to  see  the  Chris- 
tian joy  shining  in  their  countenances,  showing  plainly 
they  had  been  with  Christ  and  had  learned  of  Him.  Mr. 
Luddington  informed  his  guests  that  the  church  had  over 
one  hundred  members,  and  that  the  mission  work  at  all 
the  stations  on  the  island  was  prosperous. 

Fernando  Po  is  celebrated  for  its  yams  which  are  the 
best  grown  anywhere  on  the  coast.  For  tea  that  evening 
they  had  several  that  had  been  baked  in  the  ashes,  which 
is  much  the  best  way  to  cook  them.  The  Ogowe  Band 

130 


BONNY  AND  FERNANDO  PO 

thought  they  were  excellent,  and  they  did  full  justice  to 
them. 

A  gun  from  the  steamer  announced  the  fact  that  the 
Captain's  boat  had  come  for  them  and  they  bade  their 
kind  entertainers  good-bye,  little  thinking  that  in  a  few 
short  months  good  Mrs.  Luddington  would  be  in  her 
grave. 

So  it  ever  is  in  Africa. 


13* 


CHAPTER  IX. 


OLD   CALABAR. 


HEN  the  young  travelers  awoke  on  Mon- 
day morning  the  Nubia  was  steaming 
toward  the  broad  mouth  of  the  Old  Cala- 
bar river. 

Away  on  either  side  was  a  dark  line 
of  mangroves  converging  toward  some  point  far  ahead ; 
while  in  mid-channel  was  a  fleet  of  canoes,  whose  occu- 
pants were  engaged  in  drawing  the  denizens  of  the 
muddy  waters  from  their  turbid  home.  There  must  have 
been  at  least  two  hundred  of  these  canoes,  as  the  water 
for  a  mile  or  more  was  thickly  dotted  with  them.  The 
way  they  fished  was  by  planting  two  long  poles  in  the 
mud,  and  stretching  a  sort  of  basket  between  them.  Each 
canoe  had  several  of  these  nets  to  attend  to,  but  after  all, 
the  number  of  fish  taken  was  not  very  large.  A  few 
of  these  are  sold  fresh  in  the  Old  Calabar  market,  and  the 
rest  are  smoked  over  slow  fires  and  taken  far  up  into  the 
country  to  be  sold  where  fish  are  scarce. 

By  and  by  the  banks  of  the  river  drew  nearer  and 
the  Nubia  crossed  from,  side  to  side  as  it  followed  the 


132 


OLD  CALABAR 

deep  channel;  sometimes  the  ship  almost  touched  the 
leaves  of  the  mangroves.  The  boys  kept  a  good  lookout 
and  were  rewarded  by  seeing  two  crocodiles,  lazy,  slimy 
fellows  they  were,  appearing  to  be  more  than  half  asleep ; 
the  girls  saw  a  family  of  monkeys, — two  old  ones  and 
three  smaller  ones  scampering  away  among  the  branches 
of  the  trees.  The  Band  were  quite  excited  by  the  sight 
of  the  crocodiles  and  monkeys,  and  felt  they  had  now 
reached  Africa  and  no  mistake. 

At  ten  A.  M.  they  rounded  the  Nine  Fathom  Point 
and  as  they  did  so,  they  fired  a  gun  and  blew  the  whistle 
as  a  signal  that  they  were  coming,  and  a  little  later  a  turn 
in  the  river  brought  the  town  into  view.  Far  ahead  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  river  was  a  long  line  of  foreign 
houses  close  to  the  water-side,  while  the  hillsides  were 
covered  with  the  native  villages. 

Shortly  before  eleven  the  Nubia  came  to  anchor,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  handsome  gigs  were  seen  coming  from 
each  factory,  the  strong  arms  of  the  rowers  making  them 
leap  through  the  water.  All  along  the  coast  of  Africa 
the  traders  take  great  pride  in  their  boats  and  crews. 
The  "gig,"  as  this  kind  of  boat  is  called,  is  long,  narrow, 
and  of  a  fine  model ;  and  each  man's  gig  is  painted  a  dif- 
ferent color.  So,  too,  the  cloths  and  caps  of  the  crews  are 
different,  each  trader  having  his  own  style  or  color,  as  our 
base-ball  clubs  have  at  home. 

The  traders  were  all  dressed  in  white  and  their  pale 
faces  showed  plainly  the  traces  of  Africa,  They  gave 
Captain  Davis  a  hearty  greeting  for  he  was  an  old  friend, 
and  then  they  assembled  for  the  transaction  of  very 
important  business.  The  mate  had  brought  up  the  mail 
sack  and  this  was  now  opened  out  on  the  deck  and  each 
pair  of  eyes  sought  eagerly  through  the  pile  for  messages 

133 


OLD  CALABAR 

from  home  and  friends  or  business  firm.  When  the 
division  had  been  made,  each  took  his  share  and  returned 
to  his  place  of  business,  and  it  was  not  long  before  surf- 
boats  and  lighters  were  alongside  and  the  work  of  unlad- 
ing cargo  begun  as  at  Bonny  and  at  Boogahmah. 

Among  those  who  came  on  board  for  letters  was 
Albert  Gilles  Esq.,  of  the  firm  of  Taylor,  Laughlin  &  Co., 
Glasgow,  who  may  easily  be  called  the  leading  merchants 
of  Old  Calabar.  Mr.  Gilles  had  traveled  in  America  and 
he  recognized  Judge  McGee  as  one  of  a  party  of  gentle- 
men he  had  met  in  Philadelphia;  he  was  greatly  sur- 
prised to  see  him  in  such  an  odd  corner  of  the  world,  and 
gave  him  and  his  party  of  young  folks  a  most  pressing 
invitation  to  make  his  factory  their  home  while  in 
Calabar. 

The  Judge  thought  it  best  to  sleep  on  board  the 
steamer  as  he  had  been  told  it  was  unwise  to  sleep  on 
shore  when  making  a  journey,  and  so  it  was  arranged 
that  when  the  sea-breeze  came  in,  and  tempered  the  heat 
somewhat,  Mr.  Gilles  should  send  his  gig  for  them. 

Old  Calabar  is  forty  miles  up  the  river  and  is  a  very 
hot  place ;  this  was  not  the  hottest  time  of  the  year  but 
still  at  noon  the  heat  was  oppressive,  more  especially  to 
those  just  from  the  cooler  North. 

The  river  here  is  about  five  hundred  yards  wide ;  the 
right  bank  is  low  and  covered  with  a  jungle  of  man- 
grove, palm  and  other  trees,  but  the  left  bank  is  high  and 
in  some  places  rises  abruptly  from  the  water.  Where  the 
slopes  are  more  gradual,  the  ground  is  occupied  by  native 
villages,  while  at  the  foot  of  the  bluffs  are  located  the 
trading-stations  of  the  great  foreign  firms.  To  increase 
the  available  area  for  building  purposes,  as  well  as  to 
afford  better  landing  facilities,  piles  have  been  driven  in 


OLD  CALABAR 

the  mud  of  the  river-bed  and  the  enclosed  space  filled 
with  gravel. 

Duketowii,  as  the  settlement  at  Old  Calabar  is  called, 
is  the  greatest  palm-oil  market  in  the  world  ;  in  the  sea- 
son from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  casks,  each 
weighing  nearly  a  ton,  have  been  shipped  in  a  single 
week.  The  town  contains  several  thousand  inhabitants 
and  the  head-men  possess  a  large  amount  of  barbaric 
wealth ;  several  of  these  live  in  large  handsome  houses  of 
wood  and  galvanized  iron,  that  were  made  in  England 
and  then  brought  out  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand  dollars 
each.  These  houses  are  fitted  up  with  fine  chandeliers, 
mirrors  and  other  furniture,  and  when  the  owners  enter- 
tain a  white  guest  the  table  is  spread  with  a  linen  cloth 
and  adorned  with  real  china,  and  the  food  provided  is 
largely  imported  from  Europe.  Of  course  polygamy  and 
slaver}'  prevail,  but  a  stranger  visiting  the  town  as  our 
friends  were  doing,  would  see  little  or  nothing  of  either. 
The  streets  of  the  town  are  narrow  and  crooked  and  not 
particularly  clean,  but  as  the  white  people  travel  almost 
entirely  by  water,  it  does  not  make  so  much  difference. 

The  Ogowe  Band  sat  iipon  the  deck  in  the  shade  of 
the  friendly  awning  and  feasted  upon  the  strange  and 
varied  scenes  around  them.  The  trading  establishments 
along  the  river  were  scenes  of  busy  activity;  coopers 
driving  down  the  hoops  upon  the  great  oil  casks  with  a 
deafening  din ;  Kru-boys  turning  the  handles  of  the  sta- 
tionary iron  cranes,  to  draw  up  the  cargo  from  boats,  and 
the  casks  of  oil  from  the  canoes ;  women  paddling  home 
after  a  morning  of  toil  in  the  plantations ;  and  large  canoes 
with  casks  of  palm-oil  seeking  among  the  traders  for  the 
best  market.  Children  splashed  about  in  the  shallow 
water  near  shore  as  naturallv  as  white  children  at  home. 


OLD  CALABAR 

Slaves  came  down  to  the  river  to  wash  great  baskets  of 
yams  and  manioc  to  be  cooked  for  dinner  for  their  mas- 
ters' families.  Great  clumps  of  feathery  bamboo  growing 
upon  the  steeper  hillsides,  hung  like  enormous  ostrich 
plumes  quivering  in  the  noon-day  heat.  Upon  the  hill- 
top, a  little  back  from  the  river,  the  buildings  of  the 
Scotch  Presbyterian  Mission  stood  amid  the  cool  shade  of 
wide  spreading  fruit  trees,  looking  from  a  distance  most 
home-like  and  inviting ;  over  all  was  a  rich  flood  of  trop- 
ical sunlight  so  brilliant  and  dazzling  as  almost  to  pain 
the  eyes. 

At  three  P.  M.  Mr.  Gilles's  gig  drew  up  beside  the 
ladder,  and  the  Judge  and  his  young  companions  tripped 
lightly  down  the  steps  and  got  in ;  as  the  one  boat  would 
not  hold  so  many  the  Captain  sent  his  gig  too,  and  a  jolly 
party  they  were  as  the  two  boats  raced  down  the  river. 

Mr.  Gilles  met  them  at  his  wharf  and  conducted 
them  through  the  large  open  shed  to  the  broad  stairway 
that  led  to  his  comfortable  home.  Tea  was  served  upon 
the  wide  veranda,  and  the  conversation,  wholly  upon 
African  subjects,  was  most  interesting  to  the  young 
travelers. 

Mr.  Gilles's  house  was  a  very  large  one,  built  like 
most  factories  on  the  coast,  in  two  stories.  The  ground 
floor  is  used  as  a  shop  and  the  general  place  of  business, 
while  the  second  story  contains  the  living  rooms.  The 
shop  is  fitted  with  a  counter  and  back  of  this  the  goods  are 
piled  up  in  regular  order,  much  as  in  a  wholesale  store  at 
home. 

Two  kinds  of  trade  are  carried  on,  the  wholesale  and 
the  retail.  For  the  retail  trade,  brass  rods  are  used  as  a 
medium  ;  these  are  passed  out  in  certain  proportion  upon 
every  cask  of  oil  purchased  and  are  then  used  as  money 

136 


OLD  CALABAR 

among  the  people.  These  rods  cost  more  according  to 
their  selling  price  than  any  other  article  and  the  traders 
are  glad  to  get  them  again  in  exchange  for  other  goods ; 
so  when  a  Calabar  mother  wants  a  cloth  for  herself  or  a 
cap  for  her  little  boy,  she  takes  some  brass  rods  to  the  fac- 
tory and  buys  it.  The  wholesale  trade  is  the  principal 
one  and  consists  in  the  exchange  of  bales  of  cloth,  barrels 
of  rum,  casks  of  tobacco  and  other  goods,  for  casks  of 
palm-oil  and  tubs  of  kernels. 

Calabar  is  the  only  port  on  the  coast  where  the  credit 
system  has  been  wholly  done  away  with,  and  this  was 
accomplished  but  recently  here.  When  a  man  has  one  or 
more  casks  of  palm-oil  to  sell  he  puts  them  in  his  canoe 
and  his  slaves  paddle  it  to  one  of  the  factories.  Here  it 
is  hoisted  up  on  the  wharf,  the  bung  drawn  and  the  oil 
sampled ;  an  offer  is  then  made  which  is  either  accepted 
or  the  owner  is  free  to  try  his  fortunes  at  another  factory, 
in  which  case  his  cask  is  carefully  lowered  into  his  canoe 
again.  When  a  bargain  is  made,  a  due-bill  is  given  for 
the  amount,  which  may  then  be  taken  to  the  shop  and 
exchanged  for  goods,  or  it  may  be  kept  until  a  future 
time,  being  always  good  until  used. 

Kernels  are  sold  at  so  much  a  "tub"  which  holds 
about  a  bushel  and  a  half;  the  price  for  kernels  is  uniform, 
but  as  oil  is  of  many  different  qualities,  the  price  varies 
considerably.  This  is  one  of  the  few  rivers  where  white 
men  have  not  tried  to  go  up  the  river  to  trade,  and  it  is 
one  of  the  few  rivers  where  African  trade  is  now  profitable. 
In  every  case  where  white  men  have  pushed  up  toward 
the  interior  the  result  has  been  to  raise  the  cost  of  the 
produce  and  increase  expenses  without  augmenting  the 
volume  of  trade.  It  is  better  to  let  the  coast  people  col- 
lect the  oil,  kernels,  or  whatever  the  country  produces, 

13? 


CALABAR 

than  for  white  men  to  try  to  do  it  themselves ;  such  at 
least  has  been  the  experience  of  trade  as  Mr.  Gilles 
explained  to  the  Judge. 

Mr.  Gilles  also  said  the  greater  part  of  the  oil  came 
from  the  tide- water  region  and  the  level  country  imme- 
diately adjoining ;  that  in  the  hilly  districts  of  the  inte- 
rior the  oil-bearing  palm  was  not  so  abundant  and  that 
most  of  the  nuts  were  used  for  food. 

"I  do  not  exactly  understand  what  you  mean  by 
kernels,"  said  Johnny. 

"The  palm-nut,"  replied  Mr.  Gilles,  "has  a  fibrous 
pulp  on  the  outside  which  contains  the  oil ;  inside  this  is 
a  very  hard  nut  or  stone,  and  in  this  nut  is  a  kernel  which 
has  a  black  skin  but  the  meat  is  pure  white  and  contains 
a  fine  oil." 

"  It  must  be  a  great  deal  of  work  to  crack  so  many 
pits/'  observed  Lulu. 

"  You  must  remember  there  are  a  great  many  hands 
to  do  the  work,"  responded  Mr.  Gilles. 

"  Where  do  the  Calabar  people  go  to  get  the  oil?" 
asked  Willie. 

"They  go  to  what  they  call  the  markets,"  replied 
Mr.  Gilles.  "  Everywhere  throughout  this  part  of  Africa 
there  are  towns  where  markets  are  held  on  certain  days ; 
everyone  goes  who  has  something  to  sell  or  who  may 
possibly  wish  to  buy,  and  of  course  pretty  much  the  whole 
neighborhood  are  there.  Our  Calabar  people  fill  their 
canoes  with  goods  and  go  to  these  markets  and  biiy  the  oil 
and  kernels  and  bring  them  here  to  us  to  exchange  for 
goods  again.  The  oil  is  brought  to  these  markets  for  sale 
in  earthen  jars,  and  sometimes  in  kegs  and  small  barrels 
and  is  not  put  in  the  big  casks  you  see  until  the  Calabar 
trader  has  purchased  it." 

138 


OLD  CALABAR 

"  Are  oil  and  kernels  the  only  things  brought  to  these 
markets  for  sale?"  inquired  Grace. 

"No  indeed,"  was  the  reply,  "almost  everything  you 
can  think  of;  and,  by  the  way,  if  yon  do  not  mind  I  will 
tell  yon  a  little  story." 

"  By  all  means,"  chimed  in  the  other  girls,  "we  want 
to  hear  it." 

"Well,  then,"  continued  Mr.  Gilles,  "there  was  once 
a  man  trudging  along  to  one  of  these  markets  carrying 
three  hoes  011  his  shoulder ;  they  should  have  been  made 
of  iron,  but  this  fellow  had  them  made  of  clay  and 
thought  he  might  sell  them  to  some  one  who  did  not 
know  any  better.  By  chance  he  came  up  to  another 
man  who  was  carrying  a  basket  with  three  crows  in  it  and 
was  going  to  the  same  market. 

"'Well,  my  friend,'  said  the  first  man,  'what  have 
you  got  in  your  basket  and  where  are  you  going  ? ' 

" '  I  have  three  chickens  in  the  basket,'  said  the  sec- 
ond, 'and  I  am  going  to  the  fair  at  Kirasa  to  exchange 
them  for  three  hoes.' 

" '  How  fortunate ! '  replied  the  first,  '  for  I  have  these 
three  hoes  that  I  am  taking  to  the  same  market  to  buy 
me  three  fowls;  now  why  should  we  go  further?  let  us 
make  the  exchange  here,'  and  so  they  did. 

"'Now,' said  the  second  one,  'these  fowls  are  very 
wild;  I  have  only  just  caught  them  and  they  are  not 
accustomed  to  being  confined  in  a  basket ;  I  would  advise 
you  not  to  open  the  basket  until  you  get  home,  for  they 
might  fly  away.' 

"'And  I,'  said  the  first,  'have  only  just  made  these 
hoes  and  they  may  be  a  little  soft  yet,  and  perhaps  you 
had  better  not  try  to  use  them  until  they  have  had  a  little 
time  to  harden.'  So  they  made  the  exchange  and  each 


OLD  CALABAR 

one  returned  to  his  home.  When  the  first  got  there  he 
opened  his  basket  to  look  at  his  fowls  and  out  flew  the 
crows.  The  second  thought  he  would  try  his  new  hoes, 
and  they  broke  at  once  and  he  found  they  were  of  clay. 

"  The  next  time  they  met  one  said, '  See,  we  have  each 
been  trying  to  cheat  the  other,  now  why  should  we  do 
this  any  more  ?  Let  us  go  together  and  cheat  others  and 
then  we  will  soon  get  to  be  rich  men.' 

"  So  they  went  on  together  and  by  and  by  they  came 
to  an  old  lady  who  was  tending  goats,  and  they  said  to 
her,  '  Mother  we  see  you  have  had  a  hard  time  of  it  with 
these  goats;'  and  she  answered,  'Yes,  they  are  always 
wandering  away  and  I  must  run  after  them  to  bring  them 
back,  and  I  am  so  old  and  stiff  it  is  too  much  for  me.' 

"  Then  these  rascals  said,  '  We  are  truly  very  sorry  for 
you  and  we  will  try  to  help  you  so  you  can  have  an 
easier  time  of  it.'  Then  they  took  long  cords  and  tied 
one  end  of  each  to  a  goat,  and  the  other  ends  around  the 
old  woman's  waist,  and  they  said  to  her,  '  Now  mother, 
you  just  sit  quiet,  and  when  one  of  the  goats  wanders  off 
this  way,  you  can  take  hold  of  the  cord  and  draw  him 
back ;  and  when  one  wanders  that  way,  you  can  do  the 
same  thing,  so  you  will  be  able  to  sit  quietly  all  the 
while.' 

"The  old  woman  was  very  grateful  to  them  and 
blessed  them,  so  they  went  their  way  but  presently  returned 
with  a  dog  and  set  him  at  the  goats ;  this  frightened  them 
so  much  that  they  rushed  away  in  all  directions  and  tore 
the  old  woman  to  pieces.  Then  these  wicked  men  caught 
the  goats  and  took  them  away  and  sold  them ;  and  so  they 
kept  on  deceiving  the  people,  but  by  and  by  they  were 
found  out,  and  their  heads  were  cut  off  and  their  bodies 
were  thrown  in  the  river." 


140 


OLD  CALABAR 

The  Judge  observed  that  this  sounded  to  him  like  an 
African  story,  and  Mr.  Gilles  replied  that  it  was  one  that 
was  current  among  the  people  and  had  been  told  him  by 
a  chief. 

At  six  o'clock  the  factory  bell  rang  and  all  hands  quit 
work  and  went  to  their  quarters  to  rest  after  the  labors  of 
the  day.  Mr.  Gilles  had  invited  some  friends  to  take  din- 
ner with  him  and  meet  his  American  guests ;  these  now 
arrived  and  were  introduced  to  the  Judge  and  his  young 
companions. 

Messrs.  Lyon  and  Munroe  were  prominent  traders, 
each  in  charge  of  important  factories ;  Mr.  Holmes  was  a 
contractor  who  had  come  out  from  England  to  put  up  a 
large  house  for  a  native  chief;  Captain  Davis  came  from 
the  Nubia,  and  there  were  Mr.  Sleigh  and  another  of  Mr. 
Gilles's  assistants. 

The  dining-room  extended  all  the  way  across  the 
house  and  was  all  needed  to  seat  so  large  a  company.  A 
punka  over  the  table  created  an  agreeable  breeze  and 
made  the  dinner  more  enjoyable.  It  was  surprising  to 
come  across  so  much  comfort  and  even  elegance  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  for  the  dinner  was  served  with  as  much 
grace  and  style  as  in  many  a  pretentious  home  in  good  old 
England. 

Our  friends  gleaned  a  large  amount  of  useful  infor- 
mation from  these  gentlemen  concerning  the  country  and 
the  customs  and  superstitions  of  the  Calabar  people.  Mr. 
Gilles  had  lived  in  former  years  on  the  Gaboon  and  a  deep 
scar  on  his  face  attested  his  bravery  in  an  encounter  with 
the  cannibals. 

Among  the  many  good  things  on  the  table  were  two 
dishes  new  to  the  American  travelers ;  these  were  palm-oil- 
chop  and  Avagada  pears.  Old  Calabar  is  noted  for  its 

141 


OLD  CALABAR 

palm-oil-cliop,  which  is  blacker  and  hotter  than  elsewhere 
on  the  coast.  What  they  had  for  dinner  this  evening  was 
made  by  a  wife  of  one  of  the  chiefs  and  was  so  hot  with 
pepper  it  fairly  burned  like  fire,  and  the  Ogowe  Band  were 
obliged  to  desist  from  attempting  to  eat  it.  This  dish  is 
a  great  favorite  with  "old  coasters,"  and  is  both  whole- 
some and  nutritious.  It  is  made  of  palm-oil  and  the 
pulp  of  the  palm  nut,  fish  or  chicken,  yams,  and  a  whole 
handful  of  small  chilli  peppers,  and  tastes,  as  Saxe 
expressed  it,  "like  concentrated  African  sunshine."  The 
best  of  all  meat  to  put  in  it  is  monkey,  although  croco- 
dile or  hippopotamus  meat  does  very  well ;  some  of  the 
native  people  use  snake-meat  cut  up  into  suitable  lengths. 

Avagada  pears  are  much  larger  than  any  pears  we 
see  in  the  market  at  home,  and  are  more  of  a  vegetable 
than  a  fruit.  The  outside  is  a  purplish  brown  and  inside 
is  a  large  stone  or  pit ;  the  flesh  is  yellowish  green  and  of 
the  consistency  of  custard.  It  may  be  served  in  a  variety 
of  ways,  but  the  usual  fashion  on  the  coast  is  to  cut  the 
pear  in  half  and  in  the  cavity  occupied  by  the  pit,  pour 
vinegar,  oil  and  mustard,  with  a  little  salt  and  pepper 
(some  add  Worcestershire  sauce)  and  scrape  out  the  pulp 
with  a  spoon.  The  pear  has  a  peculiarly  rich,  buttery 
taste,  and  this,  combined  with  the  condiments  already 
mentioned,  is  greatly  relished  by  those  who  have  acquired 
the  taste. 

Our  young  friends  partook  of  them  sparingly,  and 
indeed  it  may  as  well  be  stated  at  once  that  tropical  fruits, 
such  as  they  are,  do  not  taste  good  to  a  Northerner  and  are 
really  very  poor,  compared  with  those  of  the  temperate 
zones.  It  is  true  a  few  hundred  years  of  careful,  scientific 
culture  may  so  change  them,  as  it  has  our  own  fruits  and 
vegetables,  as  to  make  them  really  luscious,  but  at  present 

142 


OLD  CALABAR 

their  excellence  exists  mostly  in  the  imaginations  of  those 
who  have  never  seen  them. 

The  evening  proved  a  most  enjoyable  one,  and  it  was 
time  to  go  all  too  soon ;  by  ten  o'clock  our  friends  had 
thanked  their  kind  entertainer  for  his  hospitality  and 
were  on  their  way  to  the  Nubia,  having  first  accepted  an 
invitation  to  spend  the  next  day  with  Mr.  Lyon.  This 
gentleman  is  an  early  riser  and  his  gig  was  alongside  next 
morning  before  the  Ogowe  Band  had  breakfasted,  but 
they  did  not  keep  it  waiting  long  and  were  soon  on  their 
way  up  the  river. 

Hope  Factory  is  the  furthest  up  the  river  of  the  long 
line  of  trading-posts  and  is  well  situated  for  business,  as 
all  the  canoes  coming  down  the  river  must  pass  it  first. 
Mr.  Lyon  met  them  at  the  wharf  and  showed  them  all 
the  factory  buildings  and  the  manner  in  which  palm-oil 
is  prepared  for  shipment.  The  casks  are  lifted  from  the 
canoes  by  an  iron  crane  at  the  end  of  a  long,  covered  shed 
and  are  rolled  to  one  side  out  of  the  way.  All  the  buvinsr 

*-  J        o 

is  done  in  the  morning ;  in  the  afternoon  comes  the  work 
of  preparing  the  oil  for  the  home  market  It  is  all  taken 
from  the  casks  in  which  it  came  down  the  river  and  put 
in  great  caldrons  heated  by  steam,  and  boiled  to  clear  it 
from  impurities;  it  is  then  ladled  out  into  clean  new 
casks,  bunged  tightly,  and  the  casks  whitewashed  and 
rolled  into  the  store-room. 

Kernels  are  carried  up  from  a  landing  on  shore  and 
measured  in  tubs,  and  are  thrown  in  a  bin  where  a  belt, 
with  tin  buckets  on  it,  carries  them  to  another  bin  in  the 
second  story ;  from  here  they  come  down  a  chute  into 
sacks,  which  are  then  sewn  up  and  piled  to  await  shipment. 
A  steam  engine  furnishes  power  for  running  the  endless 
belt,  and  also  saws  wood  and  pumps  water,  as  well  as 


OLD  CALABAR 

makes  steam  to  boil  the  great  oil  kettles.  A  railway  track 
runs  from  the  store-houses  to  the  end  of  the  pier  and  so 
makes  it  easier  to  handle  so  much  heavy  weight.  Every- 
thing was  in  perfect  order  and  the  quietness  was  remark- 
able, considering  the  amount  of  work  accomplished. 

In  the  back  yard  were  many  kinds  of  trees,  and  here 
our  young  friends  first  saw  coffee  growing  and  ripening  on 
the  trees ;  Mr.  Lyon  had  some  served  after  lunch  and  it 
was  excellent,  fully  equaling  the  best  Java.  There  was 
a  large  chicken-house,  a  pigeon-house,  duck-pond,  and 
goat-house.  The  quarters  for  the  workmen  were  clean 
and  tidy  and  so  were  the  kitchen  and  laundry ;  the  girls 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  Mr.  Lyon  was  a  good  house- 
keeper. 

After  a  careful  inspection  of  the  premises  the  party 
sat  down  on  the  front  veranda  to  rest  and  enjoy  the  lovely 
view  on  the  river.  As  Hope  Factory  is  located  on  the 
bend  of  the  river,  there  is  a  clear  view  of  the  entire  water 
front  of  the  foreign  settlement,  and  with  a  good  glass 
everything  moving  on  the  water  may  be  seen. 

The  Judge  had  been  surprised  to  see  so  large  an 
amount  of  rice  unloaded  from  the  steamer ;  he  had  ex- 
pected to  see  rice  exported  rather  than  imported.  Mr. 
Lyon  informed  him  that  the  coast  people,  especially  in 
large  towns  like  Duketown,  would  rather  buy  their  food 
than  raise  it,  for  they  thought  it  was  easier  to  spend  some 
of  their  profits  from  the  oil  trade  in  purchasing  provis- 
ions, than  to  dig  in  the  ground  and  grow  them.  What 
was  most  surprising  was  that  none  of  the  interior  tribes 
attempted  to  supply  this  demand  for  food,  but  left  it  for 
white  men  to  import  from  abroad.  Hundreds  of  tons  of 
rice,  hard  bread,  salt  beef  and  codfish  are  sold  in  the  oil 
rivers  every  year.  Many  of  the  wealthier  men  purchase 

144 


OLD  CALABAR 

flour,  butter,  tea,  sugar,  coffee,  sardines,  and  other  tinned 
provisions — paying  for  all  these  things  in  palm-oil. 

In  the  yard  in  front  of  the  house  were  twenty-seven 
great  hogsheads  of  American  leaf  tobacco,  giving  good 
evidence  of  a  love  for  the  "fragrant  weed"  by  the  dark 
sons  of  this  tropic  land. 

While  they  were  conversing  a  great  drumming  was 
heard  up  the  river,  with  shouting  and  wild  songs,  and 
presently  canoes  came  in  sight  around  the  bend.  They 
were  such  as  our  friends  had  seen  at  Bonny,  many  of  them 
larger,  and  were  full  from  stem  to  stern  with  a  double  line 
of  men  paddling  with  all  their  might  and  singing  at  the 
top  of  their  voices,  while  the  drummers  beat  their  tom- 
toms furiously,  and  a  medicine-man  in  each  canoe,  dressed 
in  a  most  fantastic  manner^  was  dancing  and  throwing  his 
body  in  grotesque  attitudes. 

Mr.  L,yon  explained  there  had  been  a  great  "  palaver" 
or  council  up  at  the  markets,  about  the  price  of  oil,  and 
the  Calabar  people  were  now  returning.  It  was  a  won- 
drous sight,  for  there  were  more  than  forty  canoes  and 
perhaps  two  thousand  men ;  the  canoes  had  great  quanti- 
ties of  fetiches  trailing  in  the  water  from  bow  and  stern, 
and  the  great  chiefs  were  arrayed  in  a  gorgeous  regalia  of 
monkey  skins,  feathers  and  paint.  A  street  parade  of  a 
circus  is  tame  compared  with  this  barbarous  pageant  of 
negro  savagery  ;  these  men  were  all  devil- worshipers  and 
it  was  easy  to  believe  they  were  in  league  with  the  powers 
of  evil. 

In  speaking  of  factory  life,  Mr.  Lyon  explained  that 
factory  people  are  astir  early.  Usually  by  the  first  dawning 
light,  a  servant  brings  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  piece  of  toast 
to  each  one,  either  to  the  dining-room  or  to  his  own  room 
.as  he  may  choose.  The  factory  bell  is  rung  and  all  hands 

x  145 


OLD  CALABAR 

"turn  to"  and  the  business  of  the  day  is  begun.  Native 
people  are  also  astir  early  and  most  of  the  produce  is 
bought  by  nine  o'clock.  At  ten  A.  M.  the  shop  is  closed 
and  the  white  men  have  breakfast.  At  noon  the  bell  is 
rung  for  all  hands  to  "  knock  off"  and  a  rest  is  given  until 
two  P.  M.,  when  work  begins  again;  at  six  o'clock  the 
labors  of  the  day  are  ended,  and  quiet  reigns  until  the 
morning. 

At  Old  Calabar,  by  agreement  among  the  traders,  (an 
agreement  faithfully  kept)  no  work  is  done  on  Sunday, 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Sabbath  is  more  strictly 
observed  on  this  wild  African  river  than  in  our  own  home 
cities.  Who  knows  but  Africa  may  yet  teach  by  example 
the  so-called  Christian  nations  of  the  world ! 

The  Judge  was  greatly  interested  with  this  informa- 
tion and  made  inquiry  concerning  the  Scotch  Mission  and 
its  work  among  the  people.  He  was  informed  that  it 
was  for  many  years  a  power  in  the  community  and  had 
done  great  good,  but  that  dissensions  had  crept  in,  and,  at 
Duketown  at  least,  had  destroyed  its  influence.  Mrs.  Ross 
has  an  independent  church  with  a  Sabbath  congregation 
of  six  hundred,  and  she  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
both  natives  and  foreign  traders.  Younger  missionaries 
have  recently  been  sent  out  by  the  Scotch  society  and 
these  have  gone  up  the  country  and  are  busy  building 
stations  and  doing  other  preliminary  work,  and  it  is  hoped 
that  substantial  advance  will  be  made  in  educating  and 
Christianizing  the  people.  There  is  quite  a  strong  force 
at  Creektown,  a  few  miles  up  the  river,  and  a  large  church 
has  been  built  entirely  by  subscriptions  of  natives  and 
traders. 

The  Duketown  mission  was  in  full  sight  from  Mr. 
Lyon's  house  and  looked  so  cool  and  inviting  among  the 

146 


OI<D  CALABAR 

trees,  that  Mr.  McGee  expressed  a  desire  to  visit  it.  Mr. 
Lyon  replied  that  he  would  be  most  happy  to  accompany 
him,  and  at  five  o'clock  the  whole  party  were  on  their 
way  down  the  river.  They  landed  at  the  wharf  at  Mr. 
Gilles's  factory  and  climbed  the  steep  path  back  of  his 
house,  that  led  up  to  the  mission  premises.  The  hill 
kept  off  the  sea-breeze  and  the  walk  was  a  warm  one. 
The  location  of  the  mission  was  a  pleasant  one  when  it 
was  reached,  but  our  friends  felt  it  was  a  mistake  to  put 
the  mission  on  top  of  a  hill  where  it  was  somewhat  diffi- 
cult of  access,  when  the  river  is  the  natural  highway  for 
natives  and  foreigners  alike ;  but  little  work  appeared  to- 
be  going  on  and  our  young  travelers  did  not  make  a  long; 
stay. 

An  excursion  to  Creektown  had  been  arranged  for 
our  friends  next  day,  but  it  rained  and  they  could  not  go. 

On  Thursday  morning  at  five  o'clock  the  anchor  was 
hoisted  from  the  muddy  bed  of  the  Old  Calabar  river,  and 
through  the  mists  of  the  early  dawn  the  Ogowe  Band  saw 
the  white  houses  of  their  trader  friends  fade  away  in  the 
distance.  As  they  doubled  Nine  Fathom  Point  the  sun's 
rays  began  to  pierce  the  dull  gray  vapors  with  streams  of 
soft  white  light,  fit  emblem  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness 
which  even  now  is  rising  o'er  this  dark  land,  bringing 
life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the  gospel,  growing 
brighter  and  brighter  unto  the  perfect  day. 


147 


CHAPTKR  X. 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY. 


*  Y    WfFTER  the  Nubia  had  passed  the  bar  at  the 
/__^      mouth   of  the  Old    Calabar   river,   Captain 
j  Davis  joined  the  Judge  and  his  young  coni- 

m  c"^^*    panions,   and    the    conversation    was     very 
J  naturally  upon  the  sights  and  incidents  of 

their  stay  at  Old  Calabar.  The  Captain  called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Judge  to  the  peculiar  geographical  location  of 
Old  Calabar,  and  in  order  the  better  to  illustrate  what  he 
was  about  to  say,  he  sent  to  his  room  for  a  chart. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "you  will  see  by  this  chart  that  the 
Kong  mountains,  which  thus  far  have  been  the  coast 
range,  end  near  the  Calabar  river  in  rather  low  foot-hills, 
and  the  Cameroons  range  lie  distinctly  to  the  south  of  it ; 
this  gives  a  free  pathway  to  the  interior.  You  will  notice 
too  that  this  is  the  nearest  point  on  the  coast  to  the  heart 
of  the  great  Soudan.  For  myself  I  do  not  believe  in  a 
healthy  interior;  I  do  not  believe  there  is  anything  healthy 
about  Africa  either  morally  or  physically,  but  if  there  is 
any  healthy  interior  anywhere  it  lies  to  the  north  and 
northeast  of  Old  Calabar. 

148 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

"We  know  that  this  vast  region  is  well  watered,  has  a 
fertile  soil,  is  largely  an  open  grassy  country  and  is  cer- 
tainly free  from  the  dense,  damp  forests  of  the  equatorial 
region  and  the  coast-line.  It  may  be  that  some  extensive 
region  can  be  found  where  white  colonists  could  live, 
which  would  afford  a  favorable  outlet  for  the  surplus  pop- 
ulation of  Europe;  or,  a  second  India  might  be  made 
there  of  Hindoo  coolies  and  other  Eastern  nations.  A 
railroad  of  but  a  few  hundred  miles  in  length  would 
extend  to  Lake  Tsad  and  would  drain  a  far  more  produc- 
tive country  than  the  Congo.  I  believe  that  to-day  the 
world  presents  no  more  inviting  investment  for  capital 
than  such  a  railroad." 

As  the  Judge  examined  the  map,  he  was  convinced 
the  Captain  was  right,  and  he  felt  sure  such  an  enterprise, 
if  carefully  managed,  would  be  a  real  success. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  Nubia  arrived  at  Victoria,  at  the 
foot  of  Mt.  Albert  of  the  Cameroons  range.  This 
mountain  rises  from  the  sea  to  a  height  of  13,800  feet, 
and  its  bold  form  was  strongly  outlined  against  the  sky. 
It  is  a  volcano  and  smoke  may  sometimes  be  seen  rising- 
from  its  summit  A  few  years  ago  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain opened  about  half  way  up  and  mud  and  water  burst 
forth.  It  is  clothed  with  a  dense  forest  growth,  and  as  the 
evening  sun  shone  upon  it,  it  presented  a  striking  and 
beautiful  appearance. 

The  bay  of  Victoria  is  full  of  islands  which  rise 
rather  abruptly  from  the  water,  and  are  covered  with  a 
solid  mass  of  vegetation  of  the  most  brilliant  green, 
making  them  appear  like  gigantic  emeralds  set  upon  the 
bosom  of  the  sea.  Upon  one  of  these  islands  is  a  large 
house  belonging  to  the  English  consul ;  but  he  is  seldom 
at  home,  for  most  of  his  time  is  spent  in  traveling  up  and 

149 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

down  the  coast  within  the  limits  of  his  jurisdiction.  On 
shore,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  are  four  or  five  Euro- 
pean houses  near  the  beach.  One  of  these  is  the  Prot- 
estant Mission  where  the  beloved  Robert  Smith  lived  and 
died.  No  man  on  the  African  coast  was  more  widely 
known  and  loved  than  he.  There  is  a  large  native  pop- 
ulation, not  gathered  in  one  town  by  the  water-side,  but 
scattered  in  small  villages  through  the  forest. 

Victoria  is  exceedingly  rich  in  tropical  vegetation, 
but  it  is  rather  out  of  the  steamer  track,  and  is  a  lonely 
place.  There  was  but  little  to  put  ashore  here,  but  as  the 
Kamerun  river  was  but  a  comparatively  short  distance 
away,  the  Nubia  remained  at  anchor  through  the  night, 
giving  every  one  a  fine  opportunity  for  a  good  sleep. 
When  at  anchor  in  the  rivers,  the  nights  on  an  African 
steamer  are  not  favorable  for  sleeping ;  the  heat  is  great, 
the  state-rooms  close  and  confined,  and  mosquitoes  are 
sometimes  troublesome ;  it  is  usually  considered  unsafe  to 
remain  on  deck,  and  so  every  one  is  thankful  for  a  quiet 
night,  outside. 

At  four  A.  M.  the  Nubia  was  again  under  steam  and 
by  breakfast  time  was  entering  the  delta  of  the  Kamerun 
river.  This  delta  is  quite  extensive  although  not  nearly 
so  large  as  those  of  the  Niger  and  Ogowe  rivers.  There 
is  an  inland  navigation  almost  to  Victoria,  and  also  for 
some  distance  to  the  south.  The  water  of  this  river  is 
very  muddy,  perhaps  more  so  than  that  of  any  river  on 
the  coast. 

The  foreign  settlement  is  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  about  twenty  miles  up,  on  the  first  solid  land  above 
the  mangroves.  Here  a  clay  cliff,  some  thirty  or  forty 
feet  high,  faces  the  river ;  at  the  foot  of  this  cliff  are  the 
factories  and  store-houses,  and  upon  its  top  are  the  gov- 

150 


KAMKRUN  AND  ELOBY 

eminent  buildings,  mission  station  and  native  villages. 
The  river  is  narrow  and  at  low  tide  exposes  large  mud- 
banks  to  the  sun;  opposite  are  low  islands  covered  with 
mangroves,  and,  with  the  exception  of  here  and  there  a  dry 
spot,  these  same  trees  extend  up  the  river  to  the  foot-hills 
of  the  Cameroons  range.  On  a  clear  day  Mt.  Albert  is 
plainly  seen  rearing  his  giant  bulk  far  above  the  line  of 
fleecy  clouds ;  as  a  rule,  however,  a  clear  atmosphere  is  a 
rarity  in  the  coast  region  ;  there  are  not  many  rainy  days, 
most  of  the  rain  falling  at  night,  but  the  air  is  so  charged 
with  moisture  as  to  present  a  slight  hazy  appearance,  as 
though  one  were  looking  through  a  thin,  white,  gauzy 
veil. 

The  Nubia  pushed  her  way  steadily  against  the  tur- 
bid tide  and  at  ten  A.  M.,  anchored  between  two  hulks 
abreast  the  town.  There  are  several  of  these  hulks  used 
as  trading-posts,  and  they  are  all  fast  in  the  mud  close  to 
shore,  to  which  they  are  attached  both  fore  and  aft  by 
heavy  chain  cables.  Notwithstanding  the  mud-banks, 
the  general  appearance  of  the  place  is  good ;  nowhere  else 
had  our  friends  seen  so  many  oil-palms,  nor  such  fine  spec- 
imens as  they  saw  here. 

Coming  up  the  river  the  first  object  to  strike  the 
eye  is  Government  House,  built  of  brick  and  painted  a 
fine  shade  of  terra  cotta.  It  is  modern  in  style,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  engraving,  and  presents  a  pleasing  contrast 
to  the  glaring  white  houses  so  universal  on  the  coast 
Next  to  Government  House  are  two  galvanized  iron 
houses  used  as  offices  by  the  government  officials ;  these 
are  all  on  the  level  ground  on  the  top  of  the  bluff  and  are 
surrounded  by  lawn  and  gravel  walks.  Good  concrete 
steps  lead  down  to  a  covered  iron  pier  which  forms  an 
excellent  landing-place.  This  part  of  the  coast,  from  the 


KAMERUN  AND  EU)BY 

Campo  river  on  the  south,  to  a  point  near  the  Old  Cala- 
bar river  on  the  north,  is  a  German  Protectorate  ruled  by 
a  governor  appointed  by  the  Imperial  Government.  The 
Germans  took  possession  in  1885  after  a  hard  fight  with 
the  natives,  and  have  been  active  in  the  work  of  improve- 
ment, and  will  doubtless  do  much  to  develop  and  civilize 
the  country.  A  free  school  has  been  established  and  the 
native  tribes  are  kept  in  subjection,  so  that  trade  and  com- 
merce may  flow  on  unimpeded.  It  may  well  be  doubted, 
whether  on  the  whole,  foreign  colonial  enterprises  are 
beneficial  to  Africa,  but  there  can  be  no  question  that  the 
English  and  Germans  are  far  superior  to  the  Latin  nations 
in  their  influence  upon  the  natives. 

The  Nubia  was  anchored  close  by  the  mission  land- 
ing and  soon  two  of  the  brethren,  Rev.  Messrs.  Arntz  and 
Bastian,  came  off  and  were  introduced  by  Captain  Davis. 
These  brethren  very  cordially  invited  the  Judge  and  his 
young  friends  to  visit  the  mission  and  they  promised  to 
do  so  toward  evening. 

Among  the  traders  who  came  for  their  mails  and  to 
hear  the  news,  was  Mr.  Kudeling,  agent  for  the  great 
Hamburg  firm  of  Jantzen  and  Thormahlen.  When  he 
heard  that  the  Judge  and  his  party  were  going  to  Gaboon, 
to  be  the  guests  of  his  friend  Mr.  Reading,  he  gave  them  a 
pressing  invitation  to  make  his  factory  their  home,  as  he 
felt  he  could  not  do  too  much  for  any  one  in  whom  Mr. 
Reading  was  interested.  As  his  factory  adjoined  the  mis- 
sion-station, the  Judge  decided  to  take  lunch  with  Mr. 
Kudeling  and  walk  up  to  the  mission  in  the  afternoon, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  he  and  the  Ogowe  Band  were 
seated  in  the  front  room  of  the  factory,  through  which  the 
breeze  passed  on  its  way  up  the  river,  making  the  room 
comfortably  cool. 

152 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

Mr.  Kudeling  gave  the  Judge  a  long  description  of 
the  palm-oil  trade,  and  the  habits  and  customs  of  the 
natives.  He  informed  his  guest  that  the  Kamerun  was 
made  up  of  a  number  of  small  streams  that  drained  the 
southern  slopes  of  the  Cameroons  range  and  were  navi- 
gable for  canoes  as  far  as  the  foot-hills,  after  which  they 
were  obstructed  by  rapids.  No  one  had  succeeded  in  fully 
exploring  these  rivers,  nor  the  country  beyond  them,  owing 
partly  to  the  dense  jungles,  and  partly  to  the  jealousy  of 
the  natives.  At  a  point  some  distance  south  of  the  Kam- 
erun there  had  been  greater  success,  one  explorer  having 
penetrated  for  a  distance  of  twenty-three  days  in  a  north- 
easterly direction.  From  what  he  saw  it  was  quite  cer- 
tain that  after  the  belt  of  dense  jungle,  some  two  hundred 
miles  in  width,  was  passed,  there  was  a  fine  country 
thickly  populated,  but  at  present  raising  little  that  was 
valuable  for  export. 

Referring  to  the  possibility  of  a  railroad,  as  suggested 
by  the  Judge,  Mr.  Kudeling  thought  the  natural  difficul- 
ties to  be  overcome  would  be  very  great,  owing  to  the 
mountains  and  the  jungle ;  still,  if  the  first  two  hundred 
miles  could  be  gotten  over,  and  some  of  the  navigable 
affluents  of  the  Congo  reached,  it  might  open  a  wide 
extent  of  the  interior  to  German  influence. 

The  Judge  shared  the  opinion,  common  in  civilized 
lands,  that  if  the  narrow  belt  of  country  between  the 
coast  range  and  the  sea  (covered  with  jungle,  containing 
a  sparse  population,  unhealthful,  and  cursed  with  the  rum 
traffic),  produced  so  much  oil,  rubber  and  ivory  for  export, 
what  might  not  be  expected  from  the  vast  interior  when 
once  put  in  communication  with  the  sea ;  an  interior  not 
only  of  immense  extent,  but  with  a  large  population  all 


153 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBV 

eager  for  the  comforts  which  civilized  nations  stood  ready 
to  furnish. 

Mr.  Kudeling  remarked  that  this  was  a  delightful 
dream,  but  a  mistaken  one.  He  called  Judge  McGee's 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the '  oil  palm  is  only  found  in 
commercial  quantities  in  the  sea^coast  region,  and  on  the 
low  lands  of  the  Congo  Basin  ;  that  rubber  grows  only  in 
deep,  dense  forests  where  but  few  people  can  li^e ;  that 
elephants  can  exist  in  a  wild  state  only  where  the  country 
is  comparatively  uninhabited ;  that  wherever  there  is  a 
fine  open  country  the  people  have  little  or  nothing  to  sell ; 
that  the  greatest  amount  of  produce  is  sent  from  those 
rivers  where  the  white  men  remain  near  the  sea ;  and  that 
the  opening  up  of  the  interior  has  decreased  the  ship- 
ments, as  is  true  of  the  Ogowe  and  the  Congo. 

The  Judge  admitted  the  African  riddle  was  a  com- 
plicated one  to  solve.  "The  volume  of  African  trade," 
observed  Mr.  Kudeling,  "will  not  greatly  increase  until 
the  native  people  learn  to  cultivate  the  soil  and  obtain 
from  it  those  products  that  are  needed  in  our  home-lands, 
such  as  sugar,  coffee,  cocoa,  and  spices;  this  at  present 
they  will  not  do." 

The  idea  of  colonizing  Africa  with  Chinese,  Hindoos 
and  other  industrious  nations  was  then  discussed,  and  Mr. 
Kudeling  informed  the  Judge  that  the  most  intelligent 
among  the  traders  believed  it  might  be  a  success  if  the  plan 
were  wisely  carried  out.  While  Mr.  Kudeling  and  the 
Judge  were  discussing  these  weighty  problems,  the  Ogowe 
Band  were  out  on  the  piazza  [seen  in  the  picture],  with 
their  eyes  opened  wide  to  drink  in  the  novel  scenes  of 
the  strange  land  they  were  visiting.  It  was  now  low  tide 
and  the  river-bed  was  exposed  to  view  for  a  long  distance 
from  shore.  The  towns-women  were  coming  down  the 

154 


KAMERUN  AND  KLOBY 

the  path  with  great  baskets  of  dark  brown  roots  on  their 
shoulders ;  these  baskets  were  held  in  place  by  a  broad 
band  that  passed  over  the  forehead.  The  loads  were 
lieavy  and  the  poor  women  were  bent  nearly  double  some- 
times by  their  great  weight.  Little  children  trotted  by 
their  mother's  side,  full  of  life  and  fun,  all  unmindful  of 
the  life  of  toil  and  privation  in  store  for  them. 

The  Band  watched  with  eager  interest  to  see  what 
these  women  were  going  to  do.  They  saw  them  go  out 
upon  the  exposed  river-bed  until  they  came  almost  to  the 
water's  edge ;  then  they  began  to  dig  with  a  short-han- 
dled hoe,  something  like  a  small  adze.  The  soil  here  was 
gravel  and  the  scrape,  scrape,  scrape,  from  many  hoes, 
.attested  the  energy  of  the  diggers. 

"What  are  they  digging  for?"  queried  Mamie. 

"Let's  wait  a  little  and  see,"  suggested  Laura. 
When  a  good  big  hole  had  been  made,  the  women  took 
banana  leaves  and  lined  it  neatly  and  then  peeled  the 
roots  and  placed  them  carefully  in  the  leaf-lined  hole; 
after  this  the  gravel  was  carefully  heaped  in  a  conical 
mound  over  the  covering  of  leaves,  and  the  work  was 
•complete. 

"  I  wonder  how  each  one  can  tell  her  own  mound 
when  she  comes  to  open  it  ?  "  said  Jessie. 

"  Why,"  said  Lulu,  "  I  saw  one  of  them  pull  out  an 
«nd  of  a  leaf  and  fix  it  very  carefully  along  the  side  of  her 
mound ;  I  would  not  wonder  if  they  put  a  little  private 
mark  on  them  in  that  way." 

"These  must  be  cassava  roots,"  added  Hattie,  "and  I 
remember  hearing  Mr.  Reading  say  one  time  when  he  was 
in  America,  that  they  contained  a  poisonous  juice,  and 
must  be  soaked  a  few  days  before  using ;  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  this  was  what  the  women  were  doing." 

155 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

When  the  women  had  finished  burying  their  roots,, 
they  went  to  other  mounds,  and,  opening  them,  took  out 
the  large  white  roots,  carried  them  to  where  the  water  was 
knee-deep  and  washed  them  clean,  then  piled  them  on 
round  wooden  trays,  and  balancing  them  carefully  on 
their  heads,  picked  up  their  baskets  and  hoes,  called  the 
little  ones  to  them,  and  trudged  along  homewards  no 
doubt  to  prepare  dinner  for  a  hungry  family. 

Poor  heathen  mothers!  how  carefully,  and  may  be 
lovingly,  you  provide  for  your  husband  and  your  little 
ones,  just  as  thousands  of  gentle,  loving  mothers  do  at 
home ;  do  you  know  there  is  a  beautiful  world  of  light 
where  you  may  rest  when  your  earthly  toil  is  ended? 
Have  ever  hopes  of  a  better  life  entered  your  dark  breasts 
to  cheer  your  hearts  and  help  you  along  life's  weary  way? 
Do  vague  longings  for  a  better  land  sometimes  steal  over 
your  soul?  Who  can  tell?  Are  we  not  taught  that  you  are 
feeling  after  the  loving,  infinite  One,  if  haply  you  might 
find  Him,  though  He  be  not  far  from  any  one  of  us?  Who 
can  estimate  the  joy  of  making  known  to  these  toiling 
ones  that  dear  Saviour  who  is  the  great  Burden-bearer  as 
well  as  Redeemer  of  mankind? 

The  boys  were  greatly  interested  in  some  half-grown 
youngsters  who  were  fishing.  Whenever  you  want  to- 
wake  up  a  boy  all  over,  show  him  some  one  fishing.  But 
not  only  were  those  boys  fishing,  but  they  were  pursuing 
their  finny  prey  after  a  novel  fashion.  They  had  taken 
several  long  banana  leaves  and  fastened  them  end  to  end 
so  as  to  form  a  length  of  several  yards ;  the  thin  part  of 
the  leaf  hung  down  from  the  mid-rib  and  did  duty  as  a 
net,  and  was  not  such  a  bad  substitute  in  the  shallow 
water.  One  of  the  boys  woiild  start  out  from  shore  with 
an  end  of  the  banana-leaf  net,  and  then  he  would  circle 

156 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

round  and  the  two  would  drag  the  impromptu  net  quickly 
up  on  the  gravel,  bringing  crabs  and  little  fishes  with  it. 
A  third  boy  carried  a  wooden  bowl  in  which  the  game 
was  put,  and  they  appeared  to  enjoy  the  sport  as  much  as 
some  members  of  the  Band  would  have  done. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  Judge  and  his  young  friends  walked 
up  the  path  that  led  to  the  mission.  This  mission  was 
begun  many  years  ago  by  the  English  Baptists  and  was 
in  many  respects  very  successful.  When  the  Germans 
desired  to  annex  the  country  they  asserted  that  these  Eng- 
lish missionaries  incited  the  natives  to  resist  them ;  be  this 
as  it  may,  the  Germans  were  not  long  in  possession  of 
Kamerun  when  the  enterprise  was  transferred  by  the 
English  Society  to  the  Basle  Society,  a  German-Swiss 
organization,  and  it  is  now  under  their  management. 
They  are  trying  to  establish  stations  at  various  points  up 
the  river,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  their  efforts  may  be  pro- 
ductive of  good ;  but,  belonging  as  they  do  to  the  con- 
quering nation,  they  do  not  as  yet  stand  well  with  the 
people. 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  very  kindly  received  by  the 
brethren  at  the  mission,  and  also  by  Mrs.  I^eitzer  who  had 
recently  been  left  a  widow,  and  who  was  now  acting  in 
the  capacity  of  housekeeper.  Coffee  was  served,  and  then 
Mr.  Arntz  took  our  friends  around  to  inspect  the  premises. 
The  house  is  two  storied,  built  of  brick  made  on  the  prem- 
ises, and  is  covered  with  a  galvanized  iron  roof.  All  the 
buildings,  including  the  church,  are  of  the  same  materials. 
The  grounds  are  small,  and  the  Judge  thought  the  brethren 
made  a  mistake  in  allowing  the  bananas  to  grow  so  near 
the  house,  forming  a  barrier  to  shut  out  the  sea-breeze  and 
all  view  of  the  river,  and  making  the  house  damp  and 
unwholesome. 


157 


KAMKRUX  AN7I)  ELOBV 

After  supper  Mr.  Arntz  took  his  guests  up  to  the 
veranda  of  the  second  story,  and  here,  above  the  broad 
banana  leaves,  was  an  extensive  view  of  river  and  marshy 
islands.  The  veranda  extended  around  the  house,  and  ou 
the  land  side  the  brown  houses  of  the  people  were  seen 
clustered  beneath  the  oil-palms,  presenting  interesting 
pictures  of  African  home-life.  After  spending  a  pleasant 
evening  Mr.  Bastian  took  our  friends  back  to  the  Nubia 
and  bade  them  good-night. 

The  next  morning  the  Judge  and  his  young  com- 
panions went  to  visit  the  Governor.  They  landed  at  the 
neat,  covered  pier  and  climbed  the  concrete  steps  to  the 
level  plain  at  the  top  of  the  bluff  where  the  government 
buildings  are.  The  grounds  were  tastefully  laid  out,  and 
many  trees  and  other  plants  were  seen  that  were  new  to- 
their  eyes. 

Baron  Soden,  the  governor,  received  them  cordially, 
without  any  fuss  or  parade,  and  soon  made  them  feel  quite 
at  home.  They  had  a  pleasant  chat  and  found  him  to  be 
in  every  way  an  accomplished  gentleman.  He  regretted 
their  short  stay  in  the  German  possessions,  and  hoped  they 
would  arrange  for  a  longer  visit  before  their  return  to 
America. 

On  their  way  back  to  the  Nubia  our  friends  called  at 
one  of  the  trading  hulks  to  pay  their  respects  to  Captain 
Dayas  to  whom  they  had  letters  of  introduction.  The 
Captain  was  an  "old  coaster,"  and  told  them  many  inci- 
dents of  former  years,  before  steamers  had  brought  Africa 
into  such  close  communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world. 
He  showed  his  visitors  over  the  hulk,  but  it  did  not  differ 
materially  from  the  factories  already  described,  except  that 
everything  was  necessarily  crowded.  The  Captain  told 


158 


KAMRRUX  AND  ELOBY 

them  that  business  was  not  nearly  so  profitable  as  in 
former  years. 

In  the  afternoon  when  the  sun  had  somewhat  lost 
his  power,  and  the  sea-breeze  had  cooled  the  air  a  little, 
the  Judge  and  his  party  went  ashore  and  took  a  stroll 
through  the  native  towns.  All  the  leading  men  among 
the  people  had,  when  young,  been  educated  in  the  mission 
school  and  so  could  epeak  English,  which  enabled  our 
friends  to  go  about  without  an  interpreter  as  they  could 
always  find  some  one  to  converse  with. 

From  the  government  buildings  a  well  constructed 
road  runs  parallel  with  the  river  to  the  upper  end  of  the 
island,  for  Kamerun  is  upon  an  island.  This  road  wound 
among  the  groups  of  houses  and  beneath  the  shade  of 
lovely  palms,  making  a  delightful  promenade.  The  town 
is  two  miles  long  and  nearly  as  broad ;  it  is  not  built  in 
continuous  streets,  but  with  short  ones ;  or  small  groups 
of  houses  are  separated  by  strips  a  few  rods  wide  planted 
closely  with  bananas  and  plantains ;  each  of  these  little 
settlements  belongs  to  those  of  one  family  name,  and  its 
domestic  politics  is  administered  by  the  oldest  man  of 
that  family  name,  who  calls  the  small  aggregation  of 
houses,  "his  town."  Between  these  "towns"  are  narrow 
footpaths  among  the  banana  groves,  and  now  the  wide 
government  road  makes  a  broad  avenue  through  the 
whole.  Most  of  the  houses  were  oblong  in  form  and 
built  of  bamboo ;  some  were  made  of  boards,  and  there 
were  a  few  two  storied  ones  of  brick  which  the  Baptist 
missionaries  had  taught  them  to  make. 

The  people  wondered  greatly  to  see  so  many  white 
folks  walking  through  their  town,  and  they  were  especially 
surprised  to  see  the  girls.  The  little  children  were  much 
frightened  at  beholding  so  many  pale-faces  and  ran  crying 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

to  their  mothers ;  indeed  the  sight  of  a  white  face  every- 
where in  Africa  creates  consternation  among  the  children ; 
a  white  face  in  this  land  seems  to  be  an  unnatural  object 
and  even  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest  notice  it  quickly. 
All  hunters  find  it  expedient  to  black  their  faces  before 
going  in  pursuit  of  game. 

In  front  of  some  of  the  houses  were  quantities  of 
light  brown  nuts  exposed  upon  mats  in  the  sun  to  dry. 
An  old  man  explained  that  this  was  cacao  and  then  going 
to  a  dense  bushy  tree  with  large,  long  leaves,  he  drew 
aside  the  foliage  and  showed  them  the  golden  fruits  or 
pods  that  contain  the  seeds.  The  Judge  knew  at  once 
that  this  was  the  bean  from  which  chocolate  is  made. 
The  old  man  said  they  gathered  the  fruit  when  ripe  and 
-dried  the  seeds  in  the  sun,  and  then  sold  them  to  the 
traders  for  a  six-pence  a  pound. 

Near  the  farther  end  of  the  town  they  heard  a  great 
drumming  and  singing,  and  following  the  sound  they 
came  upon  a  dancing  party.  An  open  space  surrounded 
by  bamboo  houses  was  filled  with  a  crowd  of  lookers-on 
all  critically  watching  the  party  in  the  centre.  At  one 
end  of  this  square  a  fine  large  house  was  built  on  posts 
and  our  friends  were  invited  to  climb  the  short  ladder  to 
the  front  veranda  where  they  were  presented  to  the  master 
of  the  house  who  was  giving  this  ball  in  honor  of  some 
important  family  event 

From  this  piazza  an  excellent  view  was  obtained  of 
the  dancing  party  which  consisted  of  something  over  a 
hundred  women  standing  close  together  in  single  file  in 
the  form  of  a  circle.  The  orchestra  consisted  of  several 
drums  beaten  furiously  by  stalwart  negroes  and  to  this 
were  added  the  voices  of  the  women  chanting  a  wild  song 
to  which  they  kept  time  with  their  bodies ;  their  move- 

160 


KAMERUN  AND  ELOBY 

inents  were  oftentimes  more  energetic  than  elegant,  but 
after  all,  perhaps  not  more  objectionable  than  a  fashionable 
dance  at  home. 

The  Ogowe  Band  soon  had  enough  of  it  and  going 
down  the  ladder  they  continued  their  walk.  They  were 
scarcely  out  of  hearing  of  the  drummers  when  they  came 
upon  piles  of  brick,  and  men  squaring  logs  to  make  beams 
for  some  new  building;  a  well  dressed  and  intelligent 
looking  black  man  standing  near  introduced  himself  as 
the  "pastor  of  the  church,"  and  informed  the  Judge  that 
the  native  congregation  was  building  a  new  house  of 
worship,  making  the  bricks  and  doing  the  work  them- 
selves. He  said  this  native  congregation  paid  him  his 
salary  and  also  kept  up  several  schools  in  the  town  and 
country  districts,  but  they  found  it  hard  work  to  do  so 
much  and  it  required  a  great  deal  of  sacrifice  on  their 
part.  He  walked  along  for  some  distance  with  the  Band 
and  gave  them  much  valuable  information  about  the 
people  and  the  mission  work,  and  when  he  left  them  he 
gave  them  into  the  care  of  a  young  man  to  show  them 
through  some  of  the  byways  of  the  town  and  then  con- 
duct them  safely  to  the  landing. 

When  they  reached  the  steamer  they  were  real  tired, 
but  a  change  of  clothes  and  a  good  dinner  rested  them, 
and  they  enjoyed  their  chairs  and  the  sea-breeze  that 
evening,  while  they  talked  over  what  they  had  seen  during 
the  day,  and  it  was  a  late  hour  before  they  retired  for  the 
night. 

The  next  morning  the  ship  was  half  way  down  the 
river  when  the  tourists  came  on  deck ;  it  was  a  lovely 
Sabbath  day,  quiet  and  beautiful ;  one  of  those  days  when 
the  calm  and  peace  of  Heaven  enters  the  soul  and  we  feel 
lifted  above  the  worry  and  care  of  earthly  existence — a 

xi  161 


KAMKRUN  AND  ELOBY 

day  to  do  one  good,  restful  and  comforting  both  to  body 
and  mind. 

At  intervals  during  the  day  the  coast-line  was  in 
sight,  but  far  away  to  the  eastward  and  not  near  enough 
to  be  distinctly  seen. 

On  Monday  morning  the  Nubia  was  headed  for  the 
shore,  and  when  the  Ogowe  Band  reached  the  deck  after 
their  coffee  and  toast,  the  dark,  heavy  mass  of  Cape  St. 
John  was  on  the  left  and  the  island  of  Corisco  away  to 
the  right,  while  before  them  were  the  waters  of  Corisco 
Bay.  This  bay  is  some  twenty  miles  in  depth  and  the 
water  in  many  places  is  shallow ;  as  they  passed  in  they 
could  see  quite  plainly  with  the  aid  of  a  glass  the  Amer- 
ican Presbyterian  Mission  station.  Indeed  this  society 
had  formerly  three  stations  on  this  island,  but  there  is  now 
only  one  and  that  is  in  charge  of  a  native  man.  It  was 
thought  that  because  this  island  was  so  small  and  so  far 
out  in  the  sea  it  would  be  healthful,  but  such  did  not 
prove  to  be  the  case  as  the  well  filled  cemetery  can  testify, 
and  now  the  efforts  of  the  society  have  been  transferred 
to  the  main-land. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  Nubia  anchored  off  the  island  of 
Eloby  where  the  foreign  settlement  is.  This  tract  of  country 
about  Corisco  bay  is  claimed  by  the  Spanish,  and  there  is 
a  Spanish  military  post  on  Eloby.  This  island  is  small 
and  has  no  native  population,  being  occupied  entirely  by 
the  trading  factories  and  the  Spanish  mission  and  military 
post  It  is  a  lonely  place  in  which  to  live  and  one  needs 
a  good  flow  of  spirits  to  keep  from  getting  the  "  blues " 
here. 

On  the  main-land,  four  or  five  miles  away,  was  a  large 
English  factory  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muni  river  which 
comes  down  from  the  Sierra  del  Crystal  range.  Mr.  Ann- 

162 


KAMERl'N  AND  KLOBY 

strong,  in  charge  of  Holt  &  Co.'s  factory,  gave  the  Judge 
and  his  party  a  cordial  invitation  to  take  a  little  run 
ashore  and  visit  his  factory,  which  they  did.  The  chief 
article  of  export  is  rubber,  there  being  but  little  oil  offered 
for  sale  in  this  neighborhood.  Everything  about  Mr. 
Armstrong's  factory  was  in  excellent  order  showing  him 
to  be  a  good  manager.  He  informed  the  Judge  that  each 
factory  paid  a  tax  of  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  to  the  Span- 
ish Governor  and  that  trade  was  slow  and  unprofitable. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  Nubia  left  Eloby  and  the  American 
voyagers  began  to  gather  up  their  things  and  get  ready 
to  leave  the  ship  in  view  of  an  early  termination  of  their 
journey. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON. 


>HE  Ogowe  Band  were  astir  with  the  dawning 
light.  The  Nubia  had  been  running  "dead 
slow"  all  night  for  when  once  out  of 
Corisco  Bay  she  had  less  than  fifty  miles 
between  her  and  the  outer  buoy  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Gaboon ;  as  soon  as  the  Captain  could  see 
the  beacon  on  Sandy  Point  he  had  put  the  engines  to 
"full  speed"  and  this  had  roused  our  friends  from  their 
slumbers. 

When  the  Judge  and  his  young  companions  reached 
the  deck  they  saw  before  them  a  wide  expanse  of  water 
with  the  shore-line  on  either  side  barely  visible  ;  away  to 
the  eastward,  up  river,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  water ; 
indeed  the  Gaboon  river  is  more  like  an  inlet  from  the 
sea,  than  a  river,  for  its  average  width  for  the  first  thirty 
miles  is  at  least  ten  miles.  It  had  rained  some  during 
the  night  and  heavy  banks  of  mist  hung  over  the  land  as 
if  some  of  the  clouds  had  fallen  from  the  skies  and  were 
resting  there. 

164 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

The  Nubia  was  heading  for  the  Point  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river ;  by  the  time  she  reached  this  and  turned 
her  prow  toward  the  northern  bank,  where  the  foreign 
settlements  are,  the  sun  had  burst  through  the  mists  and 
clouds  and  was  shining  brightly  upon  river  and  land. 
When  half-way  across  the  river  Captain  Davis  ran  up  the 
stars  and  stripes  at  the  fore,  as  a  signal  to  the  American 
Mission  that  he  had  passengers  on  board  for  them.  There 
was  considerable  speculation  among  the  members  of  the 
Band  as  to  whether  the  signal  would  be  seen  and  under- 
stood, but  the  Captain  told  them  there  was  no  doubt  Mr. 
Reading  was  watching  them  for  he  had  an  unusually 
good  glass,  and  it  was  the  custom  of  those  ashore  to  scan 
approaching  steamers  as  soon  as  they  were  visible. 

As  they  neared  the  northern  bank  they  saw  spread 
out  before  them  the  finest  landscape  they  had  yet  seen  in 
Africa ;  indeed  the  view  from  the  usual  steamer  anchorage 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  Along  the 
river-bank  for  two  and  a  half  miles  are  the  factories  and 
residences  of  the  foreign  settlement;  about  the  govern- 
ment buildings  this  assumes  the  proportions  of  a  good' 
sized  town,  with  large  stone  buildings,  a  cathedral, 
machine-shops,  and  a  stone  pier  extending  into  the  river. 
The  brown  roofs  of  the  native  villages  are  almost  hidden 
by  the  broad  banana  leaves  and  the  heavy  masses  of 
foliage  of  the  mango  trees.  Back  of  the  town  are  hills 
and  grass-fields  with  little  clusters  of  houses  here  and 
there,  and  in  the  distance  are  high  hills  covered  with 
heavy  forests.  Along  the  beach  is  a  fringe  of  cocoanut 
palms,  their  great  fronds  trembling  in  the  morning 
breeze,  while  the  river  is  alive  with  canoes,  boats  and 
steam-launches  moving  about,  and  larger  vessels  at 
anchor. 

165 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

At  the  extreme  upper  end  of  this  charming  picture, 
upon  a  hill  rather  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
water,  is  the  Baraka  station  of  the  American  Presbyte- 
rian Mission.  It  is  quite  a  little  village  of  itself,  with  a 
grass-field  on  the  slope  next  the  river  and  a  large  orchard 
of  fruit  trees  back  of  the  houses.  The  new  church,  but 
recently  completed,  is  a  conspicuous  object,  and  the  dwell- 
ing houses  look  cool  and  inviting  beneath  the  shade  of 
the  cocoanut  and  breadfruit  trees. 

The  Nubia  stopped  her  engines  near  a  large  white 
hulk  anchored  a  mile  from  shore  just  abreast  of  the  gov- 
ernment buildings ;  this  the  Doctor  told  the  Band  was  the 
"guard-ship."  "We  must  remain  here,"  said  he,  "until 
the  health  officer  comes  off  and  give  us  permission  to  pass." 
"Gaboon,"  he  continued,  " is  one  of  the  most  troublesome 
places  on  the  coast,  we  must  get  permission  for  everything 
we  do,  and  the  officials  seem  to  take  delight  in  humbug- 
ging us ;  the  people  on  shore  are  slow  to  take  away  their 
cargo,  we  get  little  or  no  return  cargo,  and  we  steamer 
people  have  little  love  for  Gaboon,  I  can  tell  you." 

The  Doctor  had  scarcely  finished  his  discouraging 
narration  when  a  boat  was  seen  pulling  off  from  the 
guard-ship  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  alongside  the  ladder. 
The  Purser  handed  the  ship's  papers  to  the  officer  in  the 
boat,  answered  a  few  questions,  and  was  then  told  it  was 
all  right;  the  boat  returned  to  the  guard-ship,  and  the 
Nubia  steamed  off  a  half  a  mile  and  anchored. 

A  few  minutes  later  Captain  Davis  came  down  from 
the  bridge  and  pointed  to  a  boat  heading  for  the  Nubia 
which  he  said  was  the  mission  boat.  The  Judge  and  his 
companions  watched  this  boat  with  eager  interest  as  it 
drew  gradually  nearer ;  it  was  propelled  at  a  good  speed  by 
six  strong  Kru-men,  and  in  the  stern  was  a  short,  stout 


PLAN    OF   BARAK  A     MISSION    iR£fMS£S,  2****  r0*r*is  *<>**. 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

man  of  forty,  with  long  side  whiskers;  this  was  Judge 
McGee's  friend,  Mr.  Reading,  missionary  in  charge  of  the 
Gaboon  station.  The  Judge  waved  his  handkerchief  and 
so  did  the  members  of  the  Band,  which  was  responded  to 
by  Mr.  Reading  by  raising  his  hat ;  soon  he  was  along- 
side and  up  the  ladder,  and  he  could  scarcely  believe  his 
senses  when  he  saw  before  him  his  old  friend  Judge 
McGee  and  a  full  round  dozen  of  young  visitors.  This 
was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  mission  that  vis- 
itors had  come  all  the  way  from  America,  and  Mr.  Read- 
ing felt  himself  extremely  fortunate  at  being  thus  honored. 
Captain  Davis  inquired  if  he  had  seen  the  signal,  and  he 
said  he  had,  and  supposed  there  was  some  of  his  coast 
acquaintances  on  board  who  wished  to  see  him. 

It  was  now  breakfast  time  and  all  hands  repaired  to 
the  saloon,  but  there  was  more  talking  done  than  eating, 
for  the  events  of  the  voyage  had  to  be  related,  and  the 
news  from  the  shore  told.  Boats  and  canoes  now  began 
to  gather  about  the  Nubia,  and  a  steam-launch  brought  a 
custom-house  officer  who  was  to  remain  on  board  until 
the  steamer  left,  and  without  whose  permission  not  a  sin- 
gle article  could  leave  the  ship.  The  customs  regulations 
at  Gaboon  are  intricate,  and  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to 
land  a  large  lot  of  baggage;  a  small  amount  may  be 
taken  ashore  at  the  police  station  near  the  mission  landing, 
but  larger  quantities  must  go  to  the  custom-house  for 
examination. 

The  Captain  placed  his  gig  and  steam-launch  at  the 
disposal  of  the  party,  and  Mr.  Reading  proposed  that  they 
should  all  go  ashore  with  the  portmanteaus  and  smaller 
articles  and  in  the  afternoon  he  and  the  Judge  would 
return  for  the  trunks ;  this  plan  met  the  approval  of  the 
custom  official  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  two  boats 

,67 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

were  filled  with  the  happy  party  and  cutting  through  the 
water  behind  the  steam-launch  on  the  way  to  shore. 

When  near  the  beach  they  "cast  loose"  from  the 
launch,  and  turning  their  bows  toward  the  river  so  as  to 
cut  the  breakers,  they  drifted  ashore  stern  first  until  they 
began  to  bump  and  then  the  Kru-men  jumped  over 
the  side,  leaving  one  man  in  the  bow  to  keep  the  boat 
facing  the  waves,  and  began  to  carry  the  passengers 
ashore.  An  official  at  once  walked  down  from  the  sta- 
tion to  see  what  was  brought  ashore,  but  he  made  no 
trouble  for  he  knew  Mr.  Reading  well,  and  a  few  words 
of  explanation  was  all  that  was  needed. 

The  Ogowe  Band  were  delighted  to  be  on  land 
again ;  at  all  the  other  places  they  had  gone  ashore  they 
were  transient  visitors  and  the  ship  was  their  home,  but 
now  the  voyage  was  ended,  they  were  cut  loose  from 
the  steamer  and  the  goal  of  all  their  journey  was  reached. 
They  had  often  pictured  in  their  minds  what  Gaboon  must 
be  like,  but  now  they  found  it  quite  different  from  what 
they  expected. 

Mr.  Reading's  little  carriage  was  in  waiting  at  the 
boat-house ;  at  his  suggestion  two  of  the  girls  got  in  it  and 
were  quickly  wheeled  away  by  four  of  the  boat's  crew, 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  party  on  foot.  Some  of  the 
mission  boys  were  awaiting  the  boat's  arrival,  and  these 
carried  the  portmanteaus  and  willow  chairs.  As  the 
party  passed  up  the  street  through  the  town  the  native 
people  came  to  greet  the  strangers  and  inquire  of  Mr. 
Reading  in  their  own  language  who  they  were,  for  they 
had  an  idea  these  were  all  new  missionaries  come  to  live 
among  them ;  they  gave  many  exclamations  of  surprise 
when  they  learned  they  were  simply  visitors. 


168 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

The  four  Kru-men  with  the  carriage  were  soon  at 
the  top  of  the  hill  and  Mrs.  Reading,  who  came  out  on 
the  piazza  when  she  heard  them  coining,  was  not  a  little 
surprised  at  seeing  two  girls,  almost  young  ladies,  instead 
of  the  husband  she  was  expecting.  When  she  learned 
who  they  were  and  who  were  coming,  it  almost  took  her 
breath  away,  but  she  soon  recovered  herself  and  gave  them 
a  hearty  welcome.  Little  Lizzie,  the  only  child  of  the 
household,  was  glad  to  see  them  too,  but  she  was  bashful 
and  kept  close  to  her  black  playmates  who  had  come  in 
the  house  with  her. 

The  news  of  the  new  arrivals  quickly  spread  over 
the  premises,  and  by  the  time  Mr.  Reading  and  his  party 
had  reached  the  house,  numbers  of  black  faces  were  seen 
everywhere  trying  to  get  a  view  of  the  strangers.  After 
introductions  all  around,  the  Judge  in  behalf  of  the 
Band  gave  a  short  account  of  the  journey  and  their  rea- 
sons for  coming  to  Africa,  which  were,  to  see  the  country, 
and  learn  what  they  could  of  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  people,  and  the  progress  of  mission  work  among  them. 
Mr.  Reading  commended  the  idea  and  promised  to  do  all 
he  could  to  assist  them  in  carrying  it  out;  coffee  was 
then  served  and  Mrs.  Reading  gave  orders  to  her  girls  to 
prepare  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  visitors. 

After  lunch  Mr.  Reading  and  the  Judge  rode  to  the 
beach  in  the  little  carriage  and  then  went  to  the  Nubia  in 
the  mission  gig,  to  see  about  landing  the  trunks ;  at  the 
same  time  the  platform  wagon  was  sent  to  the  custom- 
house two  miles  away  to  bring  them  to  the  mission  when 
they  had  been  inspected.  Before  getting  in  the  boat  Mr. 
Reading  went  to  the  police  station  and  informed  the  offi- 
cials where  he  was  going,  and  for  what  purpose.  Nothing 
can  leave  the  Gaboon  beach,  nor  can  anything  be  landed 

169 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

thereon,  without  a  written  statement  countersigned  at  the 
custom-house,  except  personal  luggage  accompanying 
passengers.  As  nothing  was  being  taken  to  the  Nubia, 
except  bananas  and  mangoes  to  the  Captain,  nothing  was 
needed  but  simple  permission. 

The  sea-breeze  was  now  coining  in  and  the  waves 
getting  high  so  that  it  took  rather  more  than  an  hour  to 
pull  to  the  ship.  Everything  was  in  confusion  on  her 
decks,  as  is  always  the  case  when  cargo  is  being  worked, 
and  it  was  some  little  time  before  the  trunks  were  ready 
to  go  ashore.  Captain  Davis  very  kindly  gave  the  use  of 
one  of  his  surf-boats  and  the  launch,  so  that  when  once 
ready  they  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  pier. 

The  Judge  thanked  the  Captain  most  heartily  for  all 
his  kindness  and  courtesy,  and  Mr.  Reading  invited  him 
ashore  to  dinner  at  six  o'clock,  which  was  declined,  as 
he  would  get  back  to  his  ship  too  late  in  the  evening, 
and  this  was  now  the  rainy  season  for  this  part  of  the 
coast. 

When  the  trunks  arrived  at  the  pier,  the  men  who 
had  come  with  the  wagon  carried  them  to  the  custom- 
house and  they  were  opened,  but  there  was  little  trouble ; 
the  Judge  was  asked  to  make  a  "declaration"  of  all  arti- 
cles that  had  not  been  in  actual  use,  and  when  this  was 
done,  a  duty  varying  from  ten  to  twenty-five  per  cent  was 
charged,  the  money  paid,  and  the  luggage  was  free. 

The  Kru-men  now  loaded  the  trunks  on  the  platform 
wagon  and  departed  for  the  mission,  while  Mr.  Reading 
and  his  guest  returned  to  the  gig  and  an  hour  later  were  at 
the  mission  landing.  As  they  were  carried  ashore  a  black 
policeman  came  to  see  if  anything  had  been  brought  from 
the  steamer,  and  when  he  found  there  was  nothing,  he 
returned  to  his  chief  to  report. 

170 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

While  the  gentlemen  were  away  for  the  trunks,  Mrs. 
Reading  and  the  Band  were  not  idle ;  the  boys  found  an 
agreeable  friend  in  Mr.  Presset  the  French  teacher,  who 
took  them  to  his  room  and  entertained  them  with  accounts 
of  his  African  experiences. 

The  girls  gathered  around  Mrs.  Reading  in  the  par- 
lor and  it  was  not  long  before  they  had  a  number  of 
callers  ;  these  were  mostly  members  of  the  church,  who 
•came  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  young  ladies;  sweet- 
faced,  intelligent  women  they  were,  and  as  they  spoke 
excellent  English,  they  could  converse  with  the  young 
ladies  without  an  interpreter.  Indeed  the  Band  could  not 
but  confess  a  certain  amount  of  disappointment,  for,  after 
their  long  journey,  and  many  rude  scenes  by  the  way,  here 
they  were  at  their  journey's  end,  and  behold,  a  civilized 
community  and  well  dressed,  intelligent  natives  addressing 
them  in  English ! 

The  house,  too,  looked  wonderfully  comfortable  and 
home-like ;  to  be  sure  it  was  without  ceiling,  open  right 
up  to  the  roof,  but  it  had  neat  China  matting  on  the  floor, 
plenty  of  rocking-chairs,  lounges,  desk,  and  organ ;  while 
upon  the  centre-table  were  the  same  newspapers  and 
magazines  to  be  found  in  a  well-to-do  home  in  an  Ameri- 
can city.  For  lunch,  too,  the  table  looked  as  inviting 
with  its  white  linen  and  silver  as  if  their  mothers  at  home 
were  expecting  friends,  while  the  food  was  nearly  the 
same  as  it  might  have  been  in  Philadelphia. 

"Never  mind,"  said  Mrs.  Reading  in  reply  to  Mamie, 
•"  if  you  visit  some  of  the  country  places,  as  I  expect  you 
will,  you  will  experience  enough  hardship  to  satisfy  you, 
I  have  no  doubt.  Mr.  Reading  and  I  have  not  always 
found  it  so  agreeable.  When  we  first  came  to  Gaboon  we 
were  dependent  upon  sailing  vessels  for  our  food  and  we 

171 


ARRIVAL,  AT  GABOON 

have  known  what  it  is  to  be  hungry,  and  when  we  did 
have  something  to  eat  it  was  not  always  of  the  best. 

"  I  remember  one  time  I  went  up  the  Ogowe  (the 
river  that  gives  its  name  to  your  Band)  with  Mrs.  Bach- 
elor ;  Miss  Dewsnap  was  there  waiting  for  us,  and  both 
she  and  the  two  traders  had  run  short  of  provisions ;  they 
sent  her  a  little  corn-meal  and  she  scraped  her  own  barrel 
to  get  the  flour  that  stuck  fast  to  it ;  of  this  mixture  she 
made  three  small  loaves  of  bread,  one  for  each  of  them. 
They  were  eating  this  bread  when  we  arrived  with  two- 
barrels  of  flour,  and  I  can  tell  you  there  was  rejoicing. 
In  our  boat  journeys  on  the  Ogowe,  and  in  the  lakes,  we 
have  sometimes  run  short  of  provisions,  and  even  when 
we  had  something  to  eat  we  could  not  take  time  to  cook 
it,  for  it  takes  a  long  time  to  cook  in  the  forest,  and  we 
needed  to  push  on  in  order  to  reach  our  destination." 

By  this  time  little  Lizzie  had  thrown  off  some  of  her 
shyness  and  had  made  friends  with  the  girls,  so  while  her 
mother  went  to  see  about  tea,  she  took  her  visitors  out  to- 
see  her  monkey  and  parrot.  Polly  was  a  nice  bird,  with 
grey  plumage  and  a  bright  red  tail;  she  had  her  liberty 
during  the  day  and  walked  about  the  yard  like  a  chicken, 
but  her  wings  were  closely  clipped  so  she  could  not  fly 
away.  Every  night  the  house-boys  put  her  in  a  box  until 
morning,  so  the  rats  should  not  eat  her  up  during  the 
night. 

In  Africa  there  are  no  flies  as  in  our  summers  at 
home,  but  there  are  a  great  many  rats.  These  rats  might 
with  propriety  be  called  "bush  rats,"  for  most  of  them 
live  outside  and  come  into  the  house  at  night ;  they  are 
very  cunning  and  are  not  easily  caught  in  a  trap. 

The  girls  wanted  to  hear  Polly  talk,  but  this  she 
would  not  do,  she  turned  her  head  and  looked  up  at  the 

172 


MRS.   JOSEPH    H.    READING 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

strangers  in  an  inquiring  way,  but  she  would  not  say  any- 
thing. Lizzie  told  the  girls  Polly  would  talk  only  when 
alone,  and  that  she  could  not  speak  English,  but  only 
M  pong  we. 

"What  is  Mpongwe?"  asked  Grace. 

"That  is  the  name  of  this  people,  and  the  name  of 
their  language,"  replied  Lizzie,  "and  I  like  it  ever  so 
much  better  than  English,  too." 

"  Do  you  talk  the  same  as  the  .black  people  ? " 
inquired  Hattie. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "I  learned  that  first,  and  I 
know  it  best;  my  name  in  Mpongwe  is  Avanji." 
[Ah-van-nge] 

"What  a  funny  name,"  said  Lulu,  "I  never  heard 
such  a  name  before." 

Across  the  yard  was  the  monkey,  a  bright  little  fellow 
with  a  white  nose,  and  a  very  long  tail ;  he  had  a  little 
house  to  live  in,  and  was  fastened  with  a  small  rope. 
When  he  saw  the  girls  coming  toward  him  he  jumped 
around  at  a  great  rate  and  made  believe  he  was  afraid,  but 
as  soon  as  they  were  near  enough  he  grabbed  Lulu's  dress 
and  gave  it  a  little  tear ;  that  young  lady  promptly  gave 
a  good  sized  scream  and  the  saucy  little  monkey  sat  up 
and  laughed  at  her. 

"That  is  just  the  way  he  goes  when  he  gets  loose," 
said  Lizzie ;  "  sometimes  papa  lets  him  loose  just  to  see  him 
run  after  the  boys  and  girls;  he  bites  them,  too,  some- 
times, and  makes  them  fear  very  much." 

"What  do  you  give  him  to  eat?"  inquired  Laura. 

"Just  whatever  we  eat,"  was  the  reply,  "but  he  likes 
most  of  all  a  piece  of  meat,  or  a  dried  fish ;  he  likes 
bananas  and  palm-nuts,  and  everything." 


173 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

The  girls  were  inclined  to  be  shy  of  the  monkey, 
and  they  went  to  the  kitchen  to  see  how  that  was 
arranged.  In  the  tropics  there  are  no  fires  in  the  houses ; 
there  may  indeed  be  an  oil-stove  for  heating  water  in  the 
night,  in  case  any  one  is  taken  with  a  chill,  but  all  cooking 
is  done  in  a  separate  building  some  yards  away. 

The  kitchen  at  Gaboon  is  built  of  bamboo,  and  has 
a  mat  roof.  The  stove  is  a  number  eight  American 
cooking  stove,  and  wood  is  used  as  fuel ;  the  pipe  does  not 
run  into  a  chimney,  nor  out  at  the  end  of  the  house,  but 
stands  straight  up  for  five  or  six  feet  and  then  ends  there, 
so  all  the  smoke  comes  into  the  kitchen  and  must  find  its 
way  out  doors  the  best  it  can.  The  floor  is  clay,  while 
the  pots  and  pans  are  like  those  at  home ;  Ntyndorema 
[En-chin-do-rem-mah]  presided  over  this  important  depart- 
ment of  the  Mission  establishment,  and  was  a  very  good 
cook,  as  the  Band  soon  discovered.  He  was  a  nice  young 
fellow  and  devoted  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reading.  They  had 
taken  him  from  the  Ogowe  Bush  when  he  was  as  wild  a 
little  savage  as  ever  paddled  a  canoe  on  that  noble  river ; 
now  he  was  an  educated  young  man,  a  member  of  the 
church,  a  singer  in  the  choir,  and  could  cook  as  good  a 
dinner  as  any  one  need  wish  to  eat.  Mrs.  Reading  did 
not  need  to  go  to  the  kitchen  from  one  week's  end  to  the 
other ;  an  hour  before  tea,  and  two  hours  before  dinner  he 
appeared  before  her  and  received  his  orders,  and  he  needed 
no  further  looking  after,  but  when  the  appointed  time 
came,  all  was  ready.  In  the  evening  he  came  for  orders 
about  breakfast,  and  when  bread  needed  to  be  baked  he 
did  it  without  being  told. 

"  Do  you  have  cows  or  horses?"  asked  Hattie. 

"No,  we  don't  have  any,"  replied  Lizzie,  "the  Gov- 
ernor has  lots  of  cattle  with  great  big  horns ;  they  go  by 

174 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

here  sometimes  and  they  are  so  lean  and  look  so  poor ; 
sometimes  one  of  them  falls  down  and  cannot  go  any  far- 
ther. He  gets  them  in  a  ship  from  some  place  far  away, 
I  don't  know  where." 

"What  makes  them  fall  down?"  inquired  Mamie. 

"Oh  this  grass  is  not  good  except  when  it  is  young," 
responded  Lizzie,  "  It  gets  to  be  very  high  and  the  cows 
won't  eat  it,  any  way  not  if  they  can  help  it." 

"The  grass  is  nice  now,"  observed  Jessie. 

"Yes,"  continued  Lizzie,  "this  is  the  beginning  of 
the  rains,  and  it  has  just  commenced  to  grow ;  it  gets  to 
be  higher  than  a  man,  and  in  the  dry  season  it  is  all 
burned  off  and  the  ground  is  bare." 

\Yhile  they  were  talking  a  flock  of  wild  parrots  flew 
overhead,  screaming  and  whistling  and  talking  as  they 
flew ;  soon  another  flock  passed,  a::d  another ;  "Lizzie  told 
the  girls  they  did  so  every  evening;  in  the  morning  they 
went  to  their  feeding-grounds  and  in  the  evening  they 
returned  to  their  town  to  sleep. 

"Do  the  parrots  have  a  town?"  inquired  Grace. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Lizzie,  "that  is  what  the 
people  say,  and  anyway  there  is  an  island  up  the  river 
called  Parrot  Island  and  may  be  that  is  their  town." 

The  girls  came  around  the  end  of  the  house  to  where 
Mr.  Reading  had  a  little  flower-garden ;  perhaps  it  would 
be  more  correct  to  call  it  a  nursery,  for  he  used  it  mainly 
to  start  trees  and  plants  to  be  afterwards  set  out  in  different 
parts  of  the  grounds.  It  was  but  a  small  place  enclosed 
writh  a  low  bamboo  fence,  and  just  where  he  could  look 
into  it  from  his  study  window. 

By  the  side  of  this  little  nursery  was  something  the 
girls  took  far  more  interest  in — two  low  trees  covered 
with  beautiful  scarlet  fruit,  and  very  good  to  eat  as  well 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

as  pretty  to  look  at ;  these  were  Batangas,  or  African 
cherries,  the  best  fruit  that  Africa  produces.  They  were 
just  in  their  prime,  and  the  slight  acid  taste  was  most 
grateful  to  the  young  folks  after  being  so  many  days  at 
sea.  Seeds  of  this  delightful  fruit  have  been  brought  to 
this  country,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  grow  in  our 
southern  States. 

While  the  girls  were  eating  the  cherries,  the  two 
gentlemen  returned  from  their  excursion  to  the  Nubia, 
and  the  young  ladies  followed  them  in  the  parlor  to  hear 
the  news  in  regard  to  their  trunks. 

After  resting  a  little,  Mr.  Reading  proposed  a  short 
walk  about  the  yard,  as  there  was  still  half  an  hour  before 
dinner  would  be  ready.  In  front  of  the  piazza  were 
several  beds  of  lilies,  ail  native  specimens,  and  these  were 
now  in  full  bloom ;  along  the  walk  leading  down  to  the 
church  was  a  long  line  of  dwarf  marigolds  just  beginning 
to  bloom.  Mr.  Reading  explained  that  this>  (the  first  of 
November),  was  the  spring-time  of  the  tropical  year,  the 
rains  having  begun  a  month  before.  The  marigolds  had 
been  planted  in  boxes  in  the  nursery  during  the  dry 
season  and  carefully  watered,  which  was  why  they  were  so 
forward.  Across  the  field,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  was  a 
thick  clump  of  East  India  bamboo ;  in  the  midst  of  this 
clump  was  the  spring. 

Mr.  Reading  informed  the  Judge  that  good  water  was 
not  easy  to  get  and  that  toward  the  end  of  the  dry  season 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  strife  for  what  little  water  there 
was  in  the  spring,  although  it  was  on  the  mission  prem- 
ises. The  towns-people  come  in  the  early  morning  and 
even  the  French  gunboats  send  their  men  for  the  precious 
liquid.  "I  have  been  so  troubled,"  said  he,  "that  I  have 
been  trying  to  see  what  I  could  do  in  the  way  of  storing 

176 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

up  rain  water  to  last  us  during  the  dry  season.  I  have 
been  two  years  at  it,  and  am  now  entirely  successful ;  if 
you  will  come  with  me  I  will  show  you." 

He  led  them  to  the  upper  part  of  the  yard  where 
there  was  a  neat  galvanized  iron  store-house,  and  showed 
them  two  covered  cisterns,  one  on  each  side ;  they  were 
nearly  full  of  clear,  sweet  water,  and  were  as  nice  cisterns 
as  could  be  found  anywhere.  "  When  we  were  building 
the  church  steps,"  continued  Mr.  Reading,  "we  ran  short 
of  brick  and  would  not  be  able  to  get  more  for  nearly  a 
month ;  I  was  afraid  to  let  my  mason  go  for  fear  I  might 
not  be  able  to  get  him  again,  as  the  government  was 
doing  a  good  deal  of  work  then,  so  I  set  my  men  to 
quarrying  stone  and  we  built  that  large  cistern  you  see 
unfinished  over  there  by  the  kitchen.  The  food-house 
just  beyond  must  have  a  new  roof  next  dry-season,  and 
then  I  will  put  on  galvanized  iron,  raise  the  cistern  walls, 
put  on  a  roof,  and  it  will  hold  water  enough  for  all 
my  people  in  July  and  August  when  water  is  so  scarce." 

From  the  top  of  the  hill,  just  back  of  the  storehouse, 
is  an  extensive  view  up  river  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach ; 
in  the  grass-field  below  are  the  pretty  brown  bamboo 
houses  of  the  people,  while  back  from  the  river,  across  the 
creek,  are  hills  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  trees. 
Encircling  the  hill  at  the  rear  of  the  mission  buildings  is 
a  narrow  valley  of  rich  soil;  while  walking  along  the 
hillside  overlooking  it,  Mr.  Reading  said,  "This  valley 
was  a  jungle  of  wild  growth  when  I  came  here.  I  cleared 
it  out,  and  now,  as  you  see,  it  is  a  garden  of  palm-trees ;  my 
men  get  enough  nuts  from  it  to  make  themselves  palm- 
oil-chop  nearly  every  day.  This  hillside  too,  was  little 
better  than  a  wilderness,  and  now  I  have  growing  on  it  at 
least  a  hundred  young  trees  besides  the  bananas." 

xii  177 


ARRIVAL  AT  GABOON 

Mr.  Reading  exhibited  the  small  cocoa-nut,  mango, 
breadfruit  and  other  trees,  with  a  fatherly  pride  that  told 
plainly  of  his  love  for  them ;  and  indeed  the  premises 
were  so  large  and  in  such  good  order  as  to  proclaim  him 
an  enterprising  and  successful  gardener. 

A  messenger  now  came  to  announce  that  dinner  was 
ready,  and  the  dining-room  was  soon  filled  with  a  merry, 
happy  company.  A  new  dish  on  the  table  to  the  Band 
was  fried  breadfruit;  this  had  much  better  be  called 
"  potato-fruit,"  for  it  is  not  at  all  like  bread,  while  it 
exactly  takes  the  place  of  the  potato,  and  is  cooked  in  the 
same  way.  It  is  not  a  native  of  Africa,  and  is  only  found 
in  the  gardens  of  Europeans,  or  occasionally  in  some 
town  where  it  has  been  planted  by  a  Christian  native,  for 
the  heathen  will  not  plant  trees. 

The  fruit  may  be  roasted  in  the  fire,  but  it  is  usually 
boiled  and  eaten  with  gravy  or  palm-oil,  and  what  is  left 
is  cut  in  thin  slices  and  fried  for  the  next  meal ;  this  is 
the  way  Mrs.  Reading  had  it  for  dinner,  and  the  Band 
liked  it  pretty  well,  but  it  has  a  sickish,  sweet  taste  which 
is  not  altogether  agreeable  to  a  northern  palate. 

After  dinner  a  few  minutes  were  spent  on  the  front 
piazza  enjoying  the  refreshing  sea-breeze,  and  then  all 
adjourned  to  the  parlor  to  spend  a  pleasant  evening. 
Here  at  the  equator  the  sun  sets  every  night  at  six  o'clock, 
and  by  half-past  six  it  is  beginning  to  get  dark.  As  the 
young  tourists  retired  for  the  night,  the  rustle  of  the 
cocoanut  leaves  and  the  patter  of  the  rain-drops  gave 
place  in  their  consciousness  to  dreams  of  dear  ones  fat 
over  the  deep  blue  sea. 


178 


CHAPTER  XIL 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON. 


IN  the  tropics  everybody  is  astir  early ;  however  late 
either  natives  or  foreigners  may  have  been  up  the 
night  before,  it  is  the  custom  to  rise  early  in  the 
morning  and  begin  the  labors  of  the  day  with 
the  first  dawning  light ;  this  was  the  case  with  the  Gaboon 
household ;    and  so  by  half-past  six  all  were  out  of  their 
rooms,  had  taken  a  small  cup  of  strong  coffee,  and  were 
ready  for  whatever  the  day  might  bring  forth. 

The  sun  was  just  peeping  over  the  eastern  hills,  and 
the  mists  in  the  valleys  were  rising  in  response  to  his 
alluring  warmth  to  float  as  masses  of  white  cloud  in  the 
bright  blue  sky.  The  wild  parrots  were  flying  to  their 
feeding-grounds,  filling  the  air  overhead  with  their  shrill 
voices,  and  all  animated  nature  was  greeting  the  new  day 
with  expressions  of  gratitude  and  praise.  Out  on  the  river 
the  fishing  boats  were  seeking  the  finny  inhabitants  of  the 
waters,  and  the  noble  ship  that  had  brought  its  precious 
freight  from  the  distant  shores  of  happy  England,  was 
swinging  lazily  with  the  tide. 

179 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

Just  as  the  Band  stepped  out  upon  the  front  piazza, 
the  bell  rang,  and  the  heads  of  the  various  working 
departments  came  to  receive  their  orders  for  the  morning. 

The  mission  family  take  an  informal  cup  of  coffee 
immediately  on  rising,  either  in  their  rooms  or  at  the  table 
in  the  dining-room,  as  each  one  may  choose.  The  first 
bell  rings  at  six  A.  M.,  and  the  second  at  half-past  six. 
When  the  second  bell  rings,  all  the  native  workers  present 
themselves  to  Mr.  Reading  at  the  front  veranda ;  causes 
of  complaint,  if  there  are  any,  and  requests  of  all  kinds 
are  then  presented,  the  operations  of  the  day  outlined, 
and  the  necessary  orders  given.  The  Kru-men  have  a 
liead-man  who  receives  all  orders  for  the  work  they  are  to 
do,  and  who  is  responsible  for  its  performance ;  the  head 
carpenter  receives  his  instructions,  the  head  mason  his,  the 
young  man  who  buys  the  native  provisions  his,  and  the 
one  wrho  transacts  the  business  with  the  French  officials  his. 
The  Bible  reader  and  the  two  theological  students  have 
their  tasks  assigned  them,  and  usually  there  are  documents 
for  Mr.  Presset  to  translate  and  prepare  in  French. 

But  the  missionary  cannot  get  along  by  giving 
general  orders  to  his  people  if  he  desires  really  satisfactory 
results  ;  he  must  be  perfect  master  of  details,  and  not  only 
direct  what  shall  be  done,  but  take  hold  and  show  how  to 
do  it.  At  this  morning  hour,  and  indeed  all  through  the 
day,  people  from  town  will  come  with  all  sorts  of  requests, 
letters  of  inquiry  relating  to  business  affairs  will  be  received 
from  the  factories,  and  policemen  and  other  agents  of  the 
Government  will  bring  notices  and  copies  of  new  regula- 
tions of  various  kinds,  all  of  which  are  to  be  signed. 
When  all  of  these  matters  have  been  attended  to,  if  there 
is  any  time  left,  the  missionary  attends  to  his  private 
correspondence  and  does  his  writing  for  the  press. 

180 


MISS   SUSIE    DEWSNAP 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

At  eight  'o'clock  there  is  breakfast,  and  after  that  the 
more  active  labors  of  the  day  begin ;  the  missionary  takes 
off  his  coat,  rolls  up  his  sleeves,  puts  on  his  broad-rimmed 
sun-hat,  and  sallies  forth.  All  parts  of  the  premises  are 
visited,  work  inspected,  trips  made  to  the  beach,  and  the 
factories;  plantains,  dried-fish,  bush-rope,  bamboo  and 
other  native  produce  examined  and  bargained  for;  all 
kinds  of  supplies  passed  out  to  workmen,  and  to  people 
from  town  in  payment  of  debts  in  the  form  of  due-bills ; 
goods  received  from  the  steamer  and  cared  for,  or  packed 
and  shipped  to  other  parts  of  the  mission-field. 

At  eleven  o'clock  a  single  stroke  of  the  bell  calls  the 
caterer  for  each  group  of  workmen  or  colored  mission 
family,  to  come  and  get  the  provisions  for  the  day.  There 
is  no  regular  supply  of  native  food,  and  the  mission  must 
feed  every  one  in  its  employ  except  the  mission  family 
itself,  which  must  buy  its  own  food  or  do  without.  Many 
plans  have  been  tried  at  Gaboon  for  feeding  its  employees, 
but  the  one  now  adopted  is  to  keep  on  hand  rice  and 
codfish,  with  a  common  grade  of  salt  beef,  all  of  which  is 
imported  from  England.  Plantains,  eguma  [e-goo-mah], 
and  dried  fish  are  purchased  when  they  can  be  had,  and 
when  these  fail  the  rice  and  codfish  are  given  out,  with  a 
piece  of  salt  beef  on  Saturday  to  those  who  have  done 
specially  well  during  the  week.  The  ration  for  one 
person  for  one  day  is  eight  fingers  of  plantains,  and  two 
dried  fish,  which  are  like  the  little  smoked  herrings  sold 
in  the  grocery  stores  of  America.  If  there  are  no  plantains, 
a  cup  of  rice  holding  a  pound  and  a  quarter  is  given 
instead,  and  when  there  are  no  dried  fish,  a  small  codfish 
is  given  for  each  person  for  one  week. 

Rations  are  given  out  at  Baraka  for  from  thirty-five 
to  forty  people  including  women  and  children,  and  when 

iSi 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

visitors  from  other  stations  are  there,  the  number  of  course 
is  greater.  Once  a  week,  each  iness,  or  family,  is  entitled 
to  a  plate  of  common  coarse  salt.  When  cocoanuts, 
breadfruit,  bananas,  or  peppers  can  be  spared,  they  are 
divided  around  ;  but  this  does  not  often  happen,  and 
when  it  does  occur  they  are  usually  distributed  in  the 
evening. 

At  noon  the  bell  rings  and  all  work  ceases ;  the  men 
cook  and  eat  their  dinner,  and  the  mission  family  retire 
to  their  rooms  and  rest  for  an  hour,  when  dinner  is 
announced.  Unlike  the  traders,  the  heaviest  meal  of  the 
day  is  taken  at  one  o'clock  ;  this  is  not  a  good  plan,  but 
it  accords  better  with  the  work  of  the  station. 

At  half-past  one,  the  bell  again  rings,  and  the  head 
of  each  department  comes  for  additional  instructions,  if 
any  are  to  be  given.  The  missionary  now  settles  himself 
at  his  desk,  and  brings  forth  the  memoranda  taken  during 
the  morning  ;  books  are  posted,  accounts  copied,  bills 
forwarded,  letters  of  advice  written,  orders  made  out,  and 
"  declarations,"  manifests,  bills  of  lading  and  other  business 
papers  prepared. 

At  4  P.  M.  the  theological  students  must  have  an 
hour's  instruction,  and  then  it  is  expected  there  will  be  a 
little  breathing  spell,  but  it  seldom  comes,  and  this  closing 
hour  of  the  day  is  spent  in  pastoral  visits  or  some  other 
form  of  light  work.  With  six  o'clock  comes  supper,  and 
if  there  is  no  evening  service  the  hours  until  bedtime  are 
spent  in  study. 

This  is  a  brief  outline  of  one  part  of  an  ordinary 
day's  work  at  Gaboon,  for  the  management  of  the  house- 
hold, and  the  work  among  the  women,  has  not  been 
mentioned;  all  of  this,  of  course,  falls  upon  the  lady  of 
the  house.  The  school  too,  being  entirely  in  the  French 

182 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

language,  is  under  care  of  Mr.  Presset,  who  was  sent  out 
from  Paris  to  take  charge  of  it,  in  accordance  with  the 
Colonial  Law.  Mr.  Presset  is  also'invaluable  in  translating 
documents  and  facilitating  intercourse  with  the  various 
departments  of  the  French  Colonial  Government. 

Gaboon  being  the  headquarters  of  the  mission,  there 
are  seldom  two  consecutive  days  alike;  the  arrival  and 
departure  of  steamers  from  England,  France,  Spain, 
Germany  and  Portugal,  as  well  as  to  and  from  the  various 
rivers  and  coast-ports,  and  of  the  mission  sloop  "Nassau," 
breaks  in  upon  the  regular  routine  of  the  station  and  often 
in  an  hour's  time  entirely  changes  the  current  of  the 
day's  operations. 

Large  amounts  of  merchandise  are  used  by  the  mission 
in  exchange  with  the  natives,  and  the  handling  of  this 
under  the  intricate  and  vexatious  custom-house  regula- 
tions, without  horse  or  other  draft  animal,  one-third  of  a 
mile  from  the  beach  and  on  top  of  a  hill  at  that,  and 
two  miles  from  the  Government  offices,  and  still  further 
sometimes  from  the  steamer,  with  no  wharf  or  hoisting 
appliances,  and  under  an  equatorial  sun,  consumes  a  great 
amount  of  time  and  sadly  reduces  the  missionary's 
efficiency  for  spiritual  work  among  the  people.  Then, 
too,  all  these  goods  are  to  be  retailed  out,  and  it  not 
infrequently  happens  that  the  missionary  holds  forth  one 
day  the  emblems  of  the  broken  body  and  shed  blood  of 
our  Lord,  and  the  next  day  is  landing  cargo  or  dickering 
with  his  congregation  over  a  bar  of  soap  or  a  head  of 
tobacco. 

As  it  is  not  the  design  of  this  work  to  criticise 
missionary  operations,  these  and  kindred  matters,  will  not 
again  be  referred  to,  unless  it  be  incidentally  to  keep  up 
the  run  of  the  story. 

183 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

Strangers  arriving  in  Gaboon  are  expected  within 
three  days  to  call  upon  the  Governor  and  obtain  his 
permission  to  remain  in  the  colony  ;  this  permit  is  issued 
by  the  Governor's  Secretary  and  "vised  "  by  the  Chief  of 
Police,  who  records  in  a  book  for  the  purpose,  all  the  facts 
of  interest  in  reference  to  the  new-comer.  With  such  a 
large  party  it  was  only  necessary  that  one  person  should 
visit  the  Governor  as  the  representative  of  all,  and  so  after 
breakfast  Mr.  Reading  and  the  Judge  rode  away  in  the 
little  carriage  to  call  on  him. 

The  sensation  of  riding  behind  human  horses  was  a 
novel  one,  and  while  it  might  seem  strange  in  our  own 
home-land,  yet  in  Africa  it  was  easy  to  feel  it  was  the  correct 
thing  as  it  harmonized  perfectly  with  the  surroundings, 
and  the  Judge  thoroughly  enjoyed  it ;  it  was  surely  much 
more  comfortable  than  to  be  carried  in  a  hammock,  and 
much  easier  for  the  men.  There  was  no  danger  of  these 
horses  running  away,  and  no  need  of  any  lines ;  a  word 
now  and  then  was  all  that  was  needed,  and  the  little 
carriage  was  so  light  it  was  just  fun  to  pull  it. 

The  French  have  made  an  excellent  road,  parallel  with 
the  beach,  three  miles  long ;  this  road,  with  a  few  connect- 
ing streets,  is  the  only  road  nearer  than  Kamerun,  on  the 
north,  and  Congo  on  the  south ;  all  the  vast  interior  is  one 
great  jungle  with  the  waterways  as  the  only  open  lines  of 
trade  and  travel.  French  road-making  is  thoroughly  done 
and  is  as  expensive  as  preparing  a  road-bed  for  a  railway. 
After  the  bush  has  been  cleared  way  and  the  ground 
somewhat  smoothed,  a  temporary  narrow-gauge  railway 
is  laid  along  the  section  to  be  improved,  and  extended  to 
a  stone  quarry.  Heavy  stone  is  then  laid  over  the  ground 
and  filled  in  with  broken  stone,  and  so  on  until  the  desired 
grade  is  reached,  when  the  top  is  carefully  rounded  and  a 

184 


BARAK  A  AND  GABOON' 

layer  of  gravel  spread  over  the  whole.  Meanwhile  ample 
preparation  is  made  to  carry  away  the  drainage ;  the  sides 
of  the  road  slope  sharply  to  the  gutter,  and  are  covered 
with  a  coating  of  lime  and  cement.  Lime-stone  is  found 
near  the  river,  and  lime  is  burned  in  the  kiln,  seen  on  the 
right  in  the  engraving. 

Along  the  line  of  this  road  are  three  iron  bridges 
which  span  as  many  streamlets  which  come  from  the  hills. 
The  larger  of  these  streamlets  separates  Gaboon  into  two 
unequal  portions  ;  the  larger  of  these  portions  is  called 
the  Plateau,  or  French  settlement  \  and  the  one  further  up 
river  is  called  Glass,  or  the  English  settlement.  Formerly 
these  were  about  equal  in  importance,  but  of  late  years 
Plateau  has  grown  rapidly  and  Glass  has  diminished  both 
in  size  and  importance. 

Gaboon  was,  but  a  few  years  ago,  -an  important 
trading-station  for  ivory  and  rubber,  but  trade  has  now 
almost  entirely  fallen  off,  and  is  simply  a  retail  business 
for  the  supply  of  the  resident  population.  Drinking 
places  and  eating  houses  pay  better  than  trade,  and  the 
number  of  small  establishments  has  considerably  increased 
of  late. 

The  road  to  the  Plateau  does  not  present  any  striking 
features,  but  it  is  very  pleasant,  and  many  a  bright  picture 
of  tropic  life  and  scenery  may  be  enjoyed  as  one  rides 
comfortably  along.  The  Government  buildings  are  built 
of  stone  and  are  large,  cool,  comfortable  and  well  adapted 
to  the  uses  for  which  they  are  intended. 

M.  Ballay,  acting  Governor  of  the  French  colony  of 
the  "  Gabun  et  Congo  "  is  a  quiet,  pleasant,  middle-aged 
man,  under  whose  wise  and  energetic  administration 
Gaboon  has  gone  steadily  forward  in  improvement  He 
has  an  enviable  reputation  as  an  explorer  and  has  done 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

much  to  open  up  the  vast  region  now  claimed  by  France. 
He  and  Mr.  Reading  were  old-time  friends,  having  lived 
together  in  the  Ogowe,  and  he  was  greatly  pleased  to  see 
the  Judge  and  offered  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  make  his 
sojourn  in  the  colony  agreeable  and  profitable.  The  Judge 
thanked  him  for  his  kindness  and  remarked  that  he  might 
need  his  assistance  by  and  by  in  his  efforts  to  visit  the 
Ogowe  river. 

After  taking  leave  of  the  Governor  the  two  friends 
went  down  to  the  telegraph  station,  and  the  Judge  sent  a 
cablegram  to  America  announcing  his  safe  arrival.  This 
is  rather  expensive  business,  costing  two  dollars,  ninety- 
six  cents  a  word,  including  the  address  and  signature ;  but 
it  is  wonderful  to  think  that  this  remote  colony  in  equa- 
torial Africa  should  have  a  wire  rope  extending  under  the 
sea  all  the  way  to  distant  America.  It  takes  from  five  to 
eight  hours  for  the  message  to  be  transmitted,  and  as  the 
difference  in  time  is  about  six  hours,  it  arrives  at  its 
destination  at  the  same  time  of  day  it  was  sent. 

Near  the  telegraph  station  is  the  Roman  Catholic 
Cathedral,  a  large,  plain,  substantial  building,  kept  in 
excellent  repair,  and  an  ornament  to  the  town. 

From  the  Cathedral  to  the  French  Catholic  Mission, 
a  distance  of  over  half  a  mile,  the  road  runs  along  the 
beach  through  an  avenue  of  cocoanut  palms,  with  houses 
and  shops  on  one  side,  and  the  rolling  surf  on  the  other, 
and  is  as  delightful  a  drive  as  can  be  found  in  any  land. 
The  Catholic  Mission  is  a  large  and  important  one, 
employing  some  twenty  priests  and  nuns,  and  enjoys  the 
patronage  of  the  Government.  Its  chief  aim  seems  to  be 
to  make  good  citizens  of  the  natives,  and  in  this  it  has  met 
with  a  large  measure  of  success  as  it  teaches  handicrafts 
of  various  kinds.  The  spiritual  results  have  not  kept 

186 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

pace  with  the  material,  but  in  regard  to  these  it  may  be 
that  a  Protestant  cannot  fitly  judge.  Its  jealousy  of,  and 
opposition  to,  the  Protestant  Mission,  seems  to  be  its  most 
unpleasant  feature,  and  also  its  practice  of  giving  rum  to 
natives ;  indeed  it  has  imported  a  still  and  is  teaching  the 
people  to  make  rum  from  the  mangoes ;  surely  it  can 
be  no  part  of  a  religious  system  to  teach  the  manufacture 
and  use  of  a  vile  beverage  that  can  produce  only  debauch- 
ery and  crime. 

The  residence  of  the  Fathers  is  built  of  stone,  with 
tile  roof,  as  is  also  the  chapel  which  stands  beside  it.  The 
grounds  are  extensive  ;  much  time  and  effort  have  been 
given  to  gardening  and  with  a  good  measure  of  success  ; 
tomatoes,  egg-plants,  lettuce,  radishes,  spinach,  squashes 
and  other  vegetables,  are  produced  in  limited  quantities, 
as  are  also  many  varieties  of  tropical  fruits.  In  the 
women's  department,  which  is  situated  near  the  cathedral, 
the  girls  are  taught  to  sew,  make  paper  flowers,  and.  other 
feminine  accomplishments. 

While  the  Judge  and  his  friend  were  making  their 
explorations  about  Gaboon,  those  who  were  left  behind 
at  Baraka  were  not  idle  ;  the  boys  had  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  good  old  Elder  Adande  [ah-dan-dee],  and  went 
down  to  his  house  to  see  how  a  Christian  African  home 
looked,  and  hear  his  stories  about  hunting  and  fishing, 
while  the  girls  gathered  in  the  parlor  about  Mrs.  Reading 
and  begged  her  to  tell  them  a  story  of  the  olden  time. 

"Fifteen  years  ago,"  said  Mrs.  Reading,  "we  sailed 
from  New  York  for  Liverpool  on  our  way  here  to  Gaboon. 
In  the  cabin  of  the  steamer  we  were  introduced  to  Miss 
Susie  Dewsnap,  a  sweet-faced  young  lady,  who  was  to  be 
our  traveling-companion  and  associate  in  the  mission  work. 
At  Lagos  we  were  all  poisoned  by  bad  water  from  the 

187 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

condenser,  which  was  given  us  to  drink  because  there  was 
a  quarrel  between  the  stewards  and  the  carpenter,  and  he 
would  not  give  out  the  fresh  water  ;  nearly  every  one  on 
board  was  ill,  but  Miss  Dewsnap  and  I  suffered  the  most. 
Five  weeks  after  our  arrival  our  little  boy  died,  and  Miss 
Dewsnap  lined  the  little  pine  box  and  laid  him  in  it  so 
gently,  for  she  had  learned  to  love  him  almost  as  much  as 
Mr.  Reading  and  I.  Then  we  went  down  to  the  other 
house  to  live,  while  she  remained  in  this  house  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bushnell.  Five  years  after  this,  she  went  with 
us  to  the  Ogowe  to  live  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bachelor,  and 
we  had  some  good  times  together  while  Mr.  Reading  was 
building  a  new  station. 

"  One  day  Mr.  Reading  and  I  started  on  a  journey  up 
the  river  and  left  Lizzie  in  Miss  Dewsnap's  care.  We 
had  not  been  gone  more  than  an  hour  when  they  were  both 
taken  sick.  As  no  one  thought  the  attack  was  going  to 
be  a  serious  one,  a  messenger  was  not  sent  after  us,  and 
we  went  on  our  way  quite  unconscious  of  any  impending 
evil.  When  we  reached  home  at  noon  of  the  third  day 
we  found  them  both  very  ill,  and  Lizzie  delirious.  We  at 
once  went  to  work  to  do  what  we  could,  for  no  time 
was  to  be  lost,  as  the  African  fever  develops  with  great 
rapidity. 

"  Mr.  Reading  and  I  took  charge  of  Lizzie,  and  Dr. 
Bachelor  and  Mrs.  Sneed  of  Miss  Dewsnap,  while  Mrs. 
Bachelor  managed  the  housekeeping  and  the  station.  In 
two  days  Lizzie  was  out  ot  danger  and  Miss  Dewsnap  was 
dying.  Before  she  died  she  became  blind,  which  is  always 
a  fatal  symptom.  We  were  eating,  and  the  door  leading 
to  her  room  was  open ;  she  thought  it  was  night  and  asked 
us  why  we  had  put  out  the  light ;  then  she  said,  '  Do 
please  light  the  lamp,  it  will  do  me  no  harm.'  It  was 

188 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

noon  time  and  the  sun  was  shining  with  all  the  brilliancy 
with  which  it  is  shining  now,  and  her  window  was  open 
and  she  was  looking  right  toward  it,  but  to  her  it  was 
darkness.  She  begged  so  hard  for  a  light  that  I  was 
obliged  to  go  in  and  tell  her  she  was  blind,  for  neither  of 
the  gentlemen  had  the  courage  to  do  it ;  when  I  told  her, 
she  was  quiet  a  minute,  and  then  she  said  '  It  is  all  right.' 
She  knew  it  would  not  be  long  before  her  eyes  would 
open  to  the  light  of  that  world  where  there  is  no  night, 
but  one  eternal  day.  She  soon  went  into  a  wild  delirium, 
but  just  before  the  end  she  came  to  her  right  mind 
and  called  us  to  her  one  by  one,  and  kissed  us  good-bye, 
and  begged  us  not  to  be  discouraged  by  her  death.  Just 
at  the  last  a  vision  of  the  glorious  future  of  Africa  passed 
before  her  mind,  but  she  could  not  tell  us  much  of  it,  for 
her  voice  was  hushed  on  earth  to  burst  forth  with  rapture 
in  the  skies,  and  we  were  left  alone.  We  sat  there  in  the 
quiet  afternoon  looking  out  upon  the  lovely  palms,  and 
thought  of  the  glad  home-coming  in  our  Father's  House, 
of  the  welcome  to  His  child ;  it  seemed  to  us  that  we 
could  hear,  like  distant  music  borne  upon  the  summer's 
breeze,  the  triumphant  songs  of  angels  and  we  wished  we 
were  with  them  to  share  their  joy.  Her  body  was 
placed  in  a  neat  coffin  and  laid  in  a  surf  boat  and  towed 
to  Gaboon,  for  she  made  us  promise  to  lay  her  beside  our 
little  Arthur." 

The  girls  thanked  Mrs.  Reading  for  the  story  and 
secretly  resolved  that  they  would  one  day  be  missionaries 
too,  and  live,  and  if  need  be,  die,  in  this  very  land. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  when  the  sea- 
breeze  had  somewhat  cooled  the  air,  Mrs.  Reading  and 
the  girls  started  out  to  see  something  of  Gaboon ;  the 
girls  were  young  and  active  and  did  not  mind  walking, 

189 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

so  they  followed  Mrs.  Reading  and  Lizzie  who  rode  in  the 
carriage.  Instead  of  taking  the  road  they  went  along 
the  beach  where  the  breeze  was  fresh  and  enjoyable, 
until  they  came  to  the  Long  Bridge  and  then  they  took 
what  is  known  as  the  Old  Road,  which  is  shaded  by  large 
mango  trees  and  passes  the  Botanical  Garden.  The 
gardener's  house  was  beautifully  overgrown  with  vines, 
and  in  the  garden  were  many  plants  entirely  new  to  the 
young  ladies,  all  of  which  were  described  to  them  by  the 
gardener.  There  were  very  few  flowers,  for  in  this  land 
of  brilliant  sunshine,  for  some  reason  flowers  do  not 
thrive ;  the  few  there  are  grow  on  trees  and  are  rather 
coarse.  The  gardener  told  them  he  had  tried  almost  every 
kind  of  flower  but  he  had  not  met  with  much  success  in 
their  cultivation. 

After  leaving  the  garden  the  party  turned  to  the 
right  and  passed  along  an  avenue  of  cocoanut  palms,  with 
cosy  little  homes  on  either  side  nestling  amid  a  wealth  of 
shrubbery  ;  occasionally  a  larger  house  occupied  by  some 
French  official,  or  used  as  a  shop  or  cafe,  stood  out  in  an 
open  space,  for,  as  a  rule,  foreigners  do  not  care  to  have 
shade  immediately  about  their  dwellings.  There  were 
no  lawns  and  no  flowers,  indeed  the  only  lawn  in  Gaboon 
is  at  the  American  Mission. 

On  the  way  home  they  called  at  the  house  of  Mary 
Walker,  a  young  Gaboon  woman,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
quite  a  little  crowd  gathered  to  see  the  strangers.  A  few 
wore  dresses,  but  most  of  the  women  had  on  what  is 
called  a  "cloth" ;  this  is  made  of  five  or  six  yards  of  wide 
calico  or  chintz,  in  the  form  of  a  sheet  and  wrapped  around 
the  body,  with  a  little  tuck  under  one  arm  for  a  fastening ; 
this  is  the  national  dress,  and  is  very  becoming,  but  it 
would  hardly  do  for  the  streets  of  Philadelphia. 

190 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

Laura  thought  these  cloths  would  all  the  time  be 
coming  undone,  but  the  women  told  her  they  never 
had  any  trouble  and  that  they  were  more  comfortable 
to  wear  than  dresses.  A  number  of  the  women  wore 
hairpins  made  of  ivory,  which  formed  a  pleasing  contrast 
with  their  jet-black  hair.  Some  of  the  head-dresses  were 
quite  elaborate  and  Mrs.  Reading  told  the  girls  that  not 
unfrequently  half  a  day  is  needed  to  arrange  one  of  these 
heads.  In  order  not  to  disarrange  the  braiding  at  night, 
the  neck  is  laid  on  a  narrow  block  of  wood  so  that  the 
head  itself  cannot  touch  the  pillow. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  mango  season  and 
everywhere  they  found  both  children  and  grown  people 
eating  the  fruit ;  it  is  somewhat  larger  than  a  peach,  and 
with  a  smooth  skin  like  a  plum ;  indeed  the  resemblance 
to  a  large  plum  is  such  that  foreigners  quite  generally  call 
them  "mango-plums."  They  are  of  a  beautiful  golden 
color,  with  a  red  cheek,  and  look  most  inviting,  but 
notwithstanding  their  attractive  appearance  they  are  not 
favorites  with  Europeans ;  the  flesh  is  yellow  and  juicy, 
but  to  a  northern  palate  rather  insipid,  and  the  skin  is 
more  than  suggestive  of  turpentine.  The  native  people 
think  them  delicious  and  during  the  season  they  grow  fat 
upon  them,  but  the  tree  is  not  a  native  of  the  country 
and  is  only  to  be  found  in  the  settlements  along  the  coast. 
The  girls  liked  them  best  when  stewed,  for  then  they  taste 
much  like  apple-sauce,  and  Mrs.  Reading  told  them  they 
were  good  made  into  pies.  They  may  be  taken  when 
half  grown,  peeled,  and  the  flesh  cut  off  and  stewed  like 
any  other  green  fruit,  or  they  may  be  used  when  nearly 
ripe. 

Hattie  asked  Mrs.  Reading  to  tell  her  the  difference 
between  a  plantain  and  a  banana  ;  "  Ever  since  I  reached 

191 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

the  coast,"  said  she,  "  I  have  heard  of  plantains  and 
bananas  and  I  cannot  tell  them  apart." 

"The  stalks  are  so  nearly  alike,"  replied  Mrs. 
Reading,  "  that  I  cannot  tell  them  myself,  but  I  know  a 
plantain  requires  a  richer  soil  than  a  banana ;  bananas 
do  well  on  the  hillside  back  of  our  house,  but  plantains 
will  hardly  grow  there.  The  fruit  of  the  plantain  is  much 
larger  and  coarser  than  bananas,  and  is  seldom  eaten  raw ; 
besides,  it  has  when  cooked,  a  very  different  taste ;  I  will 
have  some  of  both  fried  for  supper  this  evening  and  then 
you  can  see  for  yourself." 

"How  do  you  fry  them  ?"  asked  Lulu. 

"I  cut  them  lengthwise  into  about  four  slices," 
replied  Mrs.  Reading,  "sprinkle  them  with  a  little  salt, 
and  fry  them  just  as  I  would  potatoes." 

When  supper-time  came  the  girls  were  on  the  lookout 
for  the  tried  plantains  and  bananas ;  they  liked  them  both, 
but  as  Mrs.  Reading  had  told  them,  the  plantains  were  the 
best. 

Supper  was  a  little  earlier  than  usual  as  the  weekly 
prayer-meeting  is  always  held  on  Wednesday  evening, 
and  it  is  the  rule  that  all  who  live  upon  the  premises  shall 
attend ;  there  were  thirty-five  native  people  present,  which, 
with  the  Ogowe  Band  and  its  leader,  made  forty-eight. 

The  exercises  began  with  a  hymn;  a  prayer  of 
invocation,  Scripture  lesson,  and  remarks  by  Mr.  Reading 
occupying  about  eight  minutes,  just  to  introduce  the  subject 
for  the  evening ;  two  verses  of  another  hymn,  and  then 
all  the  church  members,  including  the  visitors,  were  called 
upon  to  take  part.  As  each  one's  name  was  called  the 
person  spoken  to  responded  by  reciting  a  verse  of  Scripture, 
starting  a  hymn  of  which  one  verse  only  was  sung,  making 
a  prayer,  or  a  short  exhortation ;  the  prayers  were  short 

192 


BARAKA  AND  GABOON 

and  to  the  point,  and  remarks  did  not  occupy  more  than 
from  three  to  five  minutes. 

In  this  meeting  everyone  was  free  to  use  what  language 
he  pleased,  and  so  it  was  that  each  spoke  in  his  mother 
tongue,  so  there  was  English,  French,  Mpongwe,  Benga, 
Kombe,  and  Banawkaw.  "Good  old  uncle  Adande,"  as 
the  boys  called  him,  was  eloquent  in  his  address,  and  the 
Band  wished  ever  so  much  they  could  have  understood 
what  he  said.  Notwithstanding  the  babel  of  tongues  the 
meeting  was  most  enjoyable,  and  it  did  one's  heart  good 
to  attend  such  a  prayer-meeting  in  this  far-off  heathen 
land.  The  girls  were  surprised  to  see  the  women  taking 
part  as  well  as  the  men,  and  they  were  not  a  little  dismayed 
too  when  Mr.  Reading  called  upon  them,  but  they  managed 
to  think  of  a  verse  of  Scripture  each,  and  so  got  through 
for  this  time. 

When  the  service  was  ended  there  was  a  hand-shaking 
all  around  and  the  people  were  slow  to  go  home,  as  in  our 
country  churches  in  America.  The  people  from  town 
carried  lanterns  to  keep  off  the  tigers,  which  sometimes 
came  about  and  are  very  much  feared ;  all  the  African 
people  have  a  great  dread  of  wild  beasts  of  every  kind. 


193 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON. 


'VERY  morning  the  good  old  Elder  Adande 
went  around  among  the  villages  and  country 
hamlets  to  preach  to  the  people,  and  urge 
them  to  turn  from  their  heathen  superstitions 
and  worship  and  obey  the  living  and  the  true  God.  Before 
starting  out  he  came  to  Mr.  Reading  to  receive  any 
instructions  he  might  have  to  give,  and  then  he  went  forth, 
sometimes  remaining  away  for  several  days.  When  he 
came  on  Thursday  morning  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell, 
Judge  McGee  expressed  a  desire  to  go  with  him  and  see 
how  the  old  man  conducted  his  work ;  so  Mr.  Reading 
sent  the  little  carriage,  and  the  boys  went  too,  taking 
turns  in  riding  with  the  Judge,  for  the  sturdy  old  African 
elder  declined  a  seat,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  walking  and 
did  not  mind  it  a  bit. 

They  went  back  over  the  hills  behind  Baraka  through 
grass  now  not  quite  knee-high,  which  looked  like  mowing 
fields  at  home,  only  the  grass  was  in  small  clumps  and  not 
spread  evenly  over  the  ground.  About  half  a  mile  beyond 
these  they  came  to  the  crest  of  a  ridge,  and  before  them 

194 


GOOD    OLD    UNCLE"    ADANDE 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

lay  one  of  the  most  beautiful  landscapes  that  can  be  seen 
in  any  country ;  from  where  they  stood  the  ground 
descended  to  a  valley,  through  which  ran  a  little  stream 
bordered  on  either  side  by  oil-palms;  the  slope  beyond 
was  covered  with  cassava  bushes,  with  here  and  there 
clumps  of  broad  banana  leaves  which  nearly  hid  the 
brown  bamboo  houses  of  the  "plantations,"  as  these  little 
country  settlements  are  called.  On  either  side  were  low 
hills,  some  covered  with  grass  and  others  with  trees,  while 
far  away  rose  higher  hills  clothed  with  a  mantle  of  the 
richest  green.  Looking  back,  they  saw  the  mission  prem- 
ises with  its  fruit  trees  and  buildings,  and  beyond  them  the 
river  and  the  deep  blue  sea ;  it  was  a  scene  to  be  indelibly 
impressed  upon  the  memory  and  frequently  recalled  in 
after  years. 

Adande  told  them  that  all  this  broad  land  was  once 
thickly  peopled  with  the  little  Mpongwe  nation,  but  now 
they  were  nearly  gone,  and  their  land  was  either  waste,  or 
was  occupied  by  other  people  who  had  moved  in  from  the 
bush.  The  Judge  inquired  why  it  was  that  they  died  off 
so  fast,  but  Adande  replied  he  did  not  know,  but  he 
thought  it  must  be  owing  to  rum  and  the  new  style  of 
living  which  broke  up  family  life.  "  Young  men  do  not 
wish  to  get  married  now-a-days,"  said  he,  "they  want  to 
walk  about  all  dressed  up  like  gentlemen,  and  do  not  wish 
to  be  burdened  with  the  care  of  a  family ;  so  there  are  few 
children  and  these  bush-people  are  coming  in  to  occupy 
our  land  and  take  our  places." 

After  feasting  for  a  short  time  upon  the  lovely  scene, 
and  taking  long  breaths  of  the  fresh  morning  air,  the  party 
pushed  their  way  down  the  hillside,  across  the  valley,  and 
up  the  opposite  slope  to  the  first  plantation,  where  Adande 
was  to  hold  a  meeting.  The  little  hamlet  consisted  of 

195 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

five  houses,  and  as  they  stepped  into  the  open  space  that 
served  as  a  street  a  quiet  scene  of  African  home-life 
presented  itself. 

An  old  man  was  sitting  on  a  short  bench  making  a 
fishing  net;  beside  him  was  his  old  wife  twisting  the 
fibers  of  the  pine-apple  leaf  to  make  cord  for  him  ;  a 
younger  woman,  perhaps  his  daughter-in-law,  had  a  large 
bundle  of  these  leaves  beside  her  and  was  scraping  away 
the  pulp  from  them  so  as  to  get  the  fiber.  A  man  had 
just  brought  up  a  basket  of  clams  from  the  creek,  and 
another  was  cutting  the  beautiful  golden  palm-nuts  from 
a  large  bunch  he  had  taken  from  a  tree  in  the  valley ; 
two  or  three  children  were  playing  about,  and  a  couple  of 
women  were  peeling  the  cassava  roots,  while  another  one 
was  sewing ;  a  hen  was  scratching  in  the  dirt  for  worms 
for  her  young  brood,  and  a  half  a  dozen  large  ducks  and  a 
mother  goat  with  her  kid  completed  the  list  of  the  street 
population. 

The  people  were  rather  surprised  to  see  so  many 
white  faces,  but  they  knew  Adande  and  greeted  him  with 
a  respectful  "Good  morning."  After  some  preliminary 
conversation,  Adande  began  to  speak  to  them  of  their  lost 
condition  and  their  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  as  he  pursued 
his  subject  he  grew  quite  eloquent,  but  as  it  was  all  in  the 
Mpongwe  language  the  Judge  and  the  boys  could  only 
guess  at  what  he  said.  After  the  exhortation  came  a 
prayer,  and  then  there  was  more  conversation. 

In  one  of  the  houses,  huddled  over  a  smoky  fire,  was 
a  poor  old  woman  who  was  sick ;  she  sat  in  the  ashes  with 
scarcely  any  clothing  on,  and  her  poor  withered  form 
looked  more  like  a  mummy  than  a  living  being,  so 
covered  was  it  with  dust  and  smoke.  Adande  told  the 
Judge  this  was  the  country  fashion  for  old  folks ;  when 

196 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

they  got  sick  they  hovered  over  the  fire  to  try  to  keep 
warm  and  but  little  attention  was  shown  them.  Far  away 
from  Gaboon,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  gospel,  it  is  the 
custom  to  throw  such  old  folks  in  the  river  when  they  get 
sick  and  troublesome ;  or  they  are  taken  out  in  the  forest 
and  left  to  be  eaten  by  the  tigers ;  sometimes  a  little  food 
is  given  them  so  as  to  enable  them  to  linger  for  a  few 
days,  and  occasionally  one,  more  humane  than  the  rest, 
will  knock  the  poor  old  creature  over  the  head  with  a 
club  and  so  end  the  misery  at  once. 

How  different  this  from  the  treatment  of  aged  parents 
in  out  own  loved  land  ;  truly  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
wicked  is  cruelty.  The  one  thing  which  principally 
distinguishes  the  heathen  from  the  irreligious  classes  in 
Christian  lands,  is  their  utter  absence  of  feeling  toward 
suffering  of  every  kind ;  in  all  other  respects  the  difference 
is  not  so  great  as  is  commonly  supposed — as  the  Bible  fitly 
says  [Eph.  4,  19],  they  are  "  past  feeling "  and  no  degree 
of  human  agony  can  move  them  in  the  least. 

From  this  little  plantation  the  party  went  on,  visiting 
three  others,  and  returning  to  Baraka  by  another  road ;  the 
Judge  and  the  boys  were  completely  tired  out  and  glad 
to  stay  at  home  in  the  afternoon  and  rest. 

The  women  of  the  Gaboon  church  hold  a  prayer- 
meeting  in  town  every  Thursday  afternoon  under  the 
leadership  of  Mrs.  Reading;  at  three  P.  M.  she  and  the 
girls,  with  Julia  the  Bible-woman,  and  the  Christian 
women  who  live  near  Baraka,  went  down  to  the  house  of 
Animbina  [ah-nee-mbee-nah],  near  the  beach,  where  the 
meeting  was  to  be  held.  The  house  was  a  very  pleasant 
one,  built  of  bamboo,  with  board  floors,  wide,  cool  piazzas, 
and  wood-work  neatly  painted.  There  were  curtains  at 
the  windows,  nice  furniture  in  the  rooms,  pictures  on  the 

197 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

walls,  and  a  sewing  machine  near  the  door ;  altogether  it 
was  a  comfortable  home,  neat  and  clean  as  any  one  could 
wish  for,  and  the  girls  thought  they  would  not  object  to 
just  such  a  home  for  themselves.  A  number  of  women 
came  in,  some  members  of  the  church,  and  some  heathen, 
until  the  house  and  front  piazza  were  filled. 

Mrs.  Reading  gave  out  a  hymn  and  read  a  Scripture 
lesson,  both  in  the  native  language,  and  then  Julia,  and 
others,  made  remarks  and  led  in  prayer.  It  was  a  meeting 
to  warm  one's  heart,  so  earnest,  so  tender,  and  all  in  the 
wild  language  of  a  heathen  tribe,  some  of  whom  had  now 
learned  to  love  that  dear  Saviour  who  had  died  that  all 
tribes  and  nations  might  be  brought  home  to  His  Father's 
House  to  become  one  great  family  in  the  heavenly  home 
above. 

The  hour  and  a  half  quickly  passed  away,  and  when 
the  meeting  was  over  Mrs.  Reading  introduced  her  guests 
to  the  towns-women  who  gave  many  exclamations  of 
surprise  at  their  coming  so  far  to  see  them,  and  made 
complimentary  remarks  upon  their  beauty  and  goodness ; 
but  as  these  observations  were  in  Mpongwe  the  girls  were 
quite  ignorant  of  what  they  said,  and  smiled  sweetly  upon 
the  old  women  in  the  most  innocent  fashion.  It  is  quite 
a  funny  predicament  to  have  persons  comment  upon  your 
appearance  before  your  face  and  not  know  what  they  say. 

When  the  people  had  dispersed  to  their  homes,  Mrs. 
Reading  sent  Lizzie  and  five  of  the  girls  up  to  Baraka, 
and  then  went  with  Lulu  to  make  a  call  on  Sarah,  one 
of  the  Christian  women  whose  house  was  on  the  beach 
near  by.  Sarah  is  one  of  those  comfortable  persons  who 
hold  to  the  even  tenor  of  their  way  whether  the  events 
of  life  are  pleasant  or  otherwise,  and  who  are  always  in 
a  good  humor.  Sarah's  life  had  been  in  many  ways  a 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

trying  one,  but  she  had  borne  it  all  with  such  good  nature 
that  she  was  a  favorite  with  every  one ;  she  was  a  model 
wife  and  mother,  and  a  great  worker  although  very  fleshy. 

The  sun  was  now  declining  in  the  west,  and  the  sea- 
breeze  came  in  so  cool  and  refreshing  that  when  the 
carriage  returned  Mrs.  Reading  determined  to  take  a  little 
turn  up  the  beach ;  it  is  a  delightful  ride  when  the 
tide  is  low,  for  the  wet  sand  is  smooth  as  a  floor  and  it 
seems  as  if  the  carriage  were  running  on  rails.  For  half 
a  mile  the  houses  line  the  beach,  and  then  a  turn  around 
a  corner,  where  there  is  a  bay,  hides  the  town  and  shipping 
from  view  and  gives  one  the  feeling  of  having  suddenly 
plunged  into  the  wilderness;  sand  crabs  are  running 
around,  birds  flit  about,  and  one  would  not  be  surprised 
to  see  a  monkey  or  a  snake  ;  the  last  idea  was  not  a 
pleasant  one  and  Lulu  asked  Mrs.  Reading  if  there  were 
many  snakes  in  Gaboon;  she  received  the  comforting 
assurance  that  there  were  but  few,  and  these  were  not 
likely  ever  to  be  in  her  way. 

"The  most  troublesome  snakes  we  have,"  continued 
Mrs.  Reading,  "are  those  that  get  in  our  eyes." 

"O  mercy!"  exclaimed  Lulu  with  a  shudder,  "how 
can  snakes  get  in  your  eyes?" 

"There  is  a  kind  of  Guinea  worm,"  replied  Mrs. 
Reading,  "about  two  inches  long,  that  has  a  flat  head  and 
looks  just  like  a  snake,  that  gets  in  our  eyes  sometimes 
and  causes  inflammation  and  pain.  They  remain  in  the 
eye  for  years,  in  fact  until  they  are  cut  out.  We  do  not 
all  get  them,  but  many  of  us  do.  Mr.  Reading  has  one 
that  troubles  him  very  much,  so  that  at  times  he  is  nearly 
blind  for  two  or  three  days  at  once.  He  had  one  cut  out 
when  last  in  America,  but  he  has  another  and  I  suppose 
must  suffer  from  it  until  he  goes  to  America  again." 

199 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

"Can  no  one  here  take  them  out?"  inquired  Lulu. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "there  are  here  and  there 
among  the  people  those  who  say  they  can  remove  them 
with  a  thorn  or  bent  pin ;  but  the  eye  is  a  delicate  organ 
and  these  country  doctors  are  awkward  surgeons,  and  we 
do  not  feel  like  running  any  risk." 

"  How  do  they  get  into  the  eye  ?"  asked  Lulu. 

"Some  think  they  get  them  by  drinking  unfiltered 
water,"  answered  Mrs.  Reading;  "some,  by  eating  meat 
or  fish  that  is  not  well  cooked ;  some  say  it  is  the  sting 
of  a  fly,  but  the  truth  is,  nobody  knows ;  the  first  thing 
we  know  the  eye  is  inflamed  and  painful,  and  there  is  the 
worm  full  grown  and  just  under  the  skin  of  one  of  the  lids." 

Miss  Lulu  thought  she  had  a  sorry  prospect  before 
her  of  going  home  with  her  head  full  of  snakes,  but 
Mrs.  Reading  assured  her  the  prospect  was  by  no  means 
certain  to  be  realized.  "For,"  said  she,  "I  have  been 
many  years  in  this  land  and  have  never  had  one,  and  you 
can  well  afford  to  wait  and  not  worry  until  the  trouble 
comes." 

Returning  home,  they  went  through  Toko's  town 
and  so  up  to  Baraka  the  back  way,  and  a  most  enjoyable 
ride  it  was. 

Early  on  Friday  morning  good  old  Uncle  Adande 
came  to  Mr.  Reading  in  a  great  state  of  excitement 
with  the  news  that  a  large  manatus  was  on  the  beach 
for  sale,  and  that  it  had  been  lately  killed,  so  that  its 
meat  was  still  sweet  and  good.  Adande  was  at  once 
sent  back  with  the  Kru-boys  and  the  platform  wagon, 
with  instructions  to  bring  the  animal  whatever  it 
might  cost,  for  these  creatures  are  not  numerous  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Gaboon,  being  closely  hunted  for  the 
sake  of  their  meat. 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

The  Band  were  eager  to  know  what  a  manatus  was, 
and  Mr.  Reading  told  them  it  was  a  warm-blooded  animal 
belonging  to  the  seal  family,  but,  unlike  the  seal,  it  ate 
grass  and  not  fish.  In  all  the  rivers  and  lakes  of  Central 
Africa  there  is  a  kind  of  grass  that  grows  in  the  water 
upon  which  the  manatus  feeds.  This  grass  has  stems 
twenty  or  more  feet  in  length ;  the  top  is  always  about 
two  feet  above  the  water,  and  to  accommodate  itself  to  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  water,  the  stem  straightens  out  or  curls 
up  as  may  be  necessary.  The  manatus  swims  about  and 
crops  the  tender  shoots  of  this  grass,  and  when  disturbed 
dives  and  swims  away  under  water,  sticking  up  his  nose 
occasionally  to  get  breath. 

This  is  the  animal  which  has  given  rise  to  the  fable 
of  the  mermaid,  and  no  wonder,  for  when  swimming 
undisturbed  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  if  its  head  is 
turned  a  little  from  you,  it  looks  tor  all  the  world  like  a 
black  woman ;  indeed  strangers  are  often  afraid  to  shoot 
it  on  that  account.  It  is  a  perfectly  harmless  animal,  very 
shy,  and  prefers  the  most  secluded  lake-shores  and  streams, 
far  from  the  abode  of  men. 

In  about  an  hour  the  men  were  back,  singing  a  wild 
song  as  they  came,  and  with  the  dead  manatus  upon  the 
wagon  and  a  little  crowd  of  sight-seers  following.  The 
animal  was  at  least  ten  feet  in  length  and  weighed  about 
six  hundred  pounds ;  it  was  of  a  dark  dull  color,  smooth 
skin,  short  nose,  and  had  flippers  like  a  whale ;  its  eyes 
looked  like  a  person's,  and  its  appearance  about  the  neck 
and  shoulders  was  too  human  to  be  agreeable. 

The  Judge  and  the  Band  examined  it  with  great 
interest  while  Mr.  Reading  bargained  with  the  owner. 
The  price  demanded  was  three  hundred  dollars  in  goods, 
but  as  this  was  too  much,  it  was  at  length  agreed  that  it 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

should  be  cut  up  at  once  and  Mr.  Reading  and  his 
people  buy  all  they  wished,  and  then  Adande  and  the 
Kru-boys  would  take  the  rest  and  sell  it  for  all  they 
could  get,  the  owner  going  along.  The  body  was  then 
rolled  to  the  ground  and  the  skin  taken  off  in  long  strips. 
This  skin  was  a  full  inch  in  thickness  and  from  it  the 
cruel  whips  are  made  that  are  used  to  punish  slaves  and 
women  with ;  the  strips  of  skin  are  twisted  and  nailed 
to  planks  and  dried  in  the  sun  until  they  become  as 
hard  as  wood.  The  edges  remain  sharp,  and  having  a 
twist '  they  cut  deep  into  the  flesh,  especially  if  the  whip 
be  drawn  toward  you  when  the  blow  is  given.  It  is  no 
unusual  thing  for  persons  to  die  from  the  effects  of  such 
a  flogging ;  nor  are  the  heathen  the  only  ones  who  use 
it,  for  a  few  years  ago  it  was  not  at  all  uncommon  for 
white  men  to  tie  up  their  servants  and  flog  them  ;  now 
this  practice  is  almost  entirely  abolished. 

Beneath  the  skin  was  a  layer  of  fat,  and  under  that 
the  flesh,  which  was  white  and  attractive  in  appearance ; 
a  large  fine  piece  was  roasted  for  dinner  and  the  Band 
thought  it  excellent,  as  well  they  might,  for  it  is  sweet 
and  of  good  flavor. 

Willie  asked  how  the  manatus  had  been  killed,  and 
the  man  replied  through  Adande  that  he  had  speared  him, 
and  pointed  to  a  hole  in  the  side  showing  where  the 
spear  had  entered  its  body.  He  told  Willie  he  had  made 
a  witch  medicine  of  the  powdered  bark  of  a  tree,  and 
spread  it  upon  the  water;  that  the  manatus  came  to  eat 
the  powder  and  he  was  hiding  near  and  threw  his  spear 
into  it.  The  composition  of  this  powder,  Mr.  Reading 
added,  was  known  only  to  a  few  families  and  was  by  them 
carefully  kept  secret,  being  handed  down  from  father  to 


202 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

son,  and  these  families  were  the  only  ones  who  were  per- 
mitted to  hunt  this  animal. 

In  the  afternoon  Mrs.  Reading  and  the  girls  attended 
the  regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  Ladies'  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Gaboon  church.  The  girls  were  not  a 
little  surprised  to  learn  that  here  in  savage  Africa  was  a 
band  of  Christian  women  praying  and  giving  their  money 
to  send  the  gospel  to  the  heathen.  They  had  a  regularly 
organized  society,  with  president,  secretary  and  treasurer, 
and  did  their  work  through  committees  the  same  as 
similar  organizations  in  civilized  lands. 

After  the  devotional  exercises  and  a  short  talk  about 
South  America,  which  was  the  subject  for  the  month, 
the  Society  resolved  itself  into  a  sewing  circle  and  sewed 
patchwork  for  quilts,  which  when  finished  were  sold,  and 
the  money  turned  into  the  treasury.  Conversation  kept 
pace  with  the  sewing,  and  the  girls  listened  to  many  a 
story  of  African  life,  for  most  of  these  women  had  been 
educated  in  the  mission  and  could  speak  English. 

Saturday  was  a  very  busy  day,  but  by  two  p.  M.  the 
multitude  of  business  had  been  disposed  of  and  the 
preparations  going  on  in  the  house  indicated  that  some- 
thing unusual  was  to  occur;  all  the  chairs  from  the 
dining-room  and  bed-rooms  were  brought  into  the  parlor 
and  arranged  in  rows,  the  organ  was  opened,  and  it  was 
evident  a  meeting  of  some  sort  was  to  take  place.  Out 
in  the  dining-room  the  table  was  covered  with  cups  and 
saucers,  there  was  a  large  bowl-full  of  sugar,  a  pitcher  of 
condensed  milk,  and  two  dishes  heaped  full  of  sweet 
crackers.  Mrs.  Reading  explained  that  the  choir  were  to 
meet  and  practice,  and  it  was  the  custom  to  offer  some 
light  refreshment  when  they  were  tired  with  singing. 
At  three  o'clock  they  began  to  come,  and  in  half  an  hour 

203 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

there  were  sixteen  young  men  and  women  present,  and 
they  sang  with  a  hearty  good-will  that  was  comfortable 
to  hear. 

Services  in  Africa  are  long,  and  much  of  the  time 
is  taken  up  with  devotional  exercises,  which  necessitates 
a  good  deal  of  singing,  and  this  requires  a  corresponding 
preparation.  There  were  four  hymns  for  the  morning, 
and  seven  for  the  afternoon  services,  besides  two  volunta- 
ries, and  this  took  considerable  practicing.  No  talking 
was  allowed,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  of  steady  singing 
the  vocal  chords  began  to  get  tired ;  then  at  a  signal  from 
Mr.  Reading  the  house-boys  brought  in  coffee  and  the 
crackers,  and  the  choir  enjoyed  a  short  recess.  When  this 
was  over,  two  or  three  new  pieces  were  tried,  and  then 
several  of  the  Jubilee  songs  were  sung  and  thoroughly 
enjoyed,  especially  "John  Brown,"  "Mary  and  Martha," 
and  "We  Shall  Walk  Thro'  the  Valley,"  closing  with 
"Good-bye,  Brothers." 

Contrary  to  the  commonly-received  idea,  the  Africans 
are  not  naturally  good  singers ;  the  pathos  which  makes 
those  Jubilee  songs  so  popular  in  America,  must  have  been 
born  of  centuries  of  enslavement — the  wail  of  the  shackled 
spirit  for  freedom — for  here  in  Africa  voices  are  rather 
harsh  and  wild,  lacking  in  sweetness  and  feeling.  Native 
songs  are  very  monotonous  and  with  little  real  music  in 
them  ;  those  who  have  come  into  the  church  in  mature 
years  do  not  sing  so  well  as  those  who  have  been  brought 
up  in  the  mission  from  childhood,  and  the  children  of 
educated  persons,  as  a  rule,  do  still  better.  Part  of  the 
hymns  were  in  the  native  tongue,  and  a  part  were  in 
English ;  one  of  the  requirements  for  admission  to  the 
choir  is  ability  to  read  English. 


204 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

It  is  surprising  to  see  what  a  hold  the  English 
language  has  taken  along  the  entire  western  coast  of 
Africa  ;  the  natives  everywhere  desire  to  learn  it,  and 
if  it  were  not  for  the  severe  restrictions  by  the  various 
Colonial  governments,  it  would  in  time  be  spoken  every- 
where, and  take  the  place  of  the  native  languages.  It 
•can  no  longer  be  taught  in  either  French  or  German 
territory. 

After  the  choir  meeting  was  over,  the  bell  rang,  and 
the  work  of  giving  out  "  Saturday "  was  gone  through 
with.  The  masons  and  carpenters  receive  each  week, 
seven  pounds  of  beef,  seven  pounds  of  hard  bread, 
seven  pounds  of  rice,  seven  heads  of  tobacco,  two  clay 
pipes,  a  bar  of  soap,  a  box  of  matches,  a  plate  of  salt,  and 
some  tea  and  sugar  in  lieu  of  rum  which  they  get  when 
they  work  for  the  factories.  The  Kru-men  each  get  a  bar 
•of  soap,  a  head  of  tobacco,  and  a  box  of  matches,  and 
all  who  have  done  especially  well  during  the  week  get 
a  little  piece  of  salt  beef  for  their  Sunday  dinner.  This 
is  the  only  time  during  the  week  when  kerosene  is  sold 
at  retail,  and  bottles  may  be  seen  coming  from  all 
directions  for  the  precious  light-giving  oil. 

Application  is  often  made  by  people  from  town  for 
breadfruit  and  cocoanuts,  for  food  is  never  plentiful  among 
them,  and  they  are  often  hungry.  By  the  time  all  these 
matters  have  been  attended  to  it  is  dark  and  the  mission- 
ary is  thoroughly  tired. 

The  Sabbath  was  a  most  delightful  day  to  the  Ogowe 
Band ;  excepting  the  part  of  a  day  they  were  ashore  at 
Fernando  Po,  it  was  the  first  real  Sabbath  they  had 
enjoyed  for  a  long  time.  It  was  a  perfect  morning ;  the 
rain  that  had  fallen  during  the  night  sparkled  in  tiny 
drops  upon  every  leaf  and  blade  of  grass  as  the  rising 

205 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

sun  kissed  the  landscape,  and  the  solemn  hush  that  rested 
upon  the  world  was  suggestive  of  the  eternal  calm  of 
Him  whose  day  it  was. 

The  house-boys  went  noiselessly  about  their  work, 
and  the  working  part  of  the  force  walked  slowly  about 
the  yard  with  their  cloths  wrapped  around  them,  enjoying 
the  day  of  rest  which  God  had  given  them.  At  half-past 
eight  the  bell  rang,  and  again  at  nine,  for  service  is  early 
on  account  of  the  heat.  O,  how  sweet  was  the  sound  of 
the  Sabbath  bell !  Our  young  friends  forgot  they  were 
far  from  home  in  a  heathen  land  as  they  walked  down  the 
path  to  God's  house,  with  its  hallowed  sound  ringing  in 
their  ears. 

The  church  was  a  bamboo  one,  and  was  filled  with  a 
well-dressed  and  attentive  congregation.  The  visitors 
were  surprised  to  see  so  large  a  part  of  the  audience  so 
nicely  dressed;  many  of  the  women  had  on  silk  or 
worsted  dresses  of  fashionable  make,  with  the  latest  style 
of  Parisian  hats,  kid  gloves,  shoes,  and  parasols.  The 
men  too  were,  many  of  them,  as  well  dressed  as  city  young 
men  at  home,  even  the  Kru-men  had  on  coats  and  panta- 
loons, and  looked  as  intelligent  as  the  colored  citizen  of 
America. 

Mr.  Reading  and  Mr.  Owondo  Lewis  occupied  the 
pulpit  and  divided  the  services  between  them.  First  there 
was  the  invocation,  then  a  short  psalm  read  in  English 
and  afterward  in  Mpongwe,  an  English  hymn,  and  then  a 
Scripture  lesson,  hymn,  sermon,  prayer,  and  voluntary  by 
the  choir — all  in  Mpongwe.  After  this  there  was  the 
same  in  English,  then  notices,  collection,  closing  hymn 
and  benediction — the  entire  service  lasting  two  hours. 
The  choir  sat  in  front,  to  the  right  of  the  pulpit,  and  was 
led  by  Mr.  Reading.  No  organ  was  used  as  the  people 

206 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  GABOON 

are  so  fond  of  hearing-  it  they  will  not  sing,  or  at  least  will 
only  sing  softly,  preferring  to  listen  to  the  organ. 

After  the  services  there  were  many  introductions  and 
hand-shakings,  the  people  remaining  for  some  time  under 
the  trees  in  front  of  the  church  to  converse  with  one 
another  before  going  home.  Several  of  the  older  Mpongwe 
men  and  women  followed  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reading  into 
the  parlor  where  coffee  was  passed  around,  and  after  a 
pleasant  chat  they  left. 

Mr.  Reading  followed  Mr.  Luddington's  plan  of 
merging  the  afternoon  Sunday-school,  and  the  evening 
service,  into  one  service  at  4  P.  M.  and  with  satisfactory 
results.  A  congregation  nearly  as  large  as  the  morning 
one  assembled  promptly  at  four  o'clock,  and  the  exercises 
included  seven  hymns,  two  prayers,  responsive  reading  of 
the  Scripture  lesson,  catechism,  exposition  of  the  lesson 
lasting  thirty  minutes  [in  reality  a  sermon],  and  hearing 
of  classes  by  the  teachers.  This  service  lasted  an  hour 
and  three  quarters;  like  the  morning  service  it  was  in 
both  languages. 

The  church  at  Gaboon  has  not  grown  as  rapidly  as 
could  be  wished,  nor  as  rapidly  as  churches  in  other 
parts  of  the  mission  field.  It  has  had  a  great  deal  to 
contend  with,  and  many  influences  which  may  not  be 
mentioned  here  have  held  it  in  check  ;  still,  the  services 
are  well  attended  and  there  are  some  who  are  the  Lord's 
true  children  and  who  seek  to  grow  in  conformity  with 
Him  and  in  fitness  for  life  in  the  beautiful  home  above,  . 


207 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT. 


IT  had  been  decided  to  make  a  trip  up  the  Gaboon 
river,  and  so  Monday  was  spent  in  making  prepa- 
rations for  the  journey.     There  are  no  hotels  in 
this  part  of  Africa  except  one  at  Banana  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Congo  river,  nor  houses  of  entertainment 
of  any  kind ;   when  travelers  wish  to  visit  the  country 
they  must  depend  on  private  hospitality,  or  take  their 
provisions  with  them. 

Men  who  have  been  long  on  the  coast  and  who  have 
traveled  much,  have  learned  to  exist  for  a  time  on  native 
food,  but  new-comers  cannot  do  so,  and  they  must  be  well 
provided  with  canned  provisions ;  moreover,  it  is  not 
always  easy  to  get  even  the  few  things  the  country  does 
produce  ;  often  enough  it  happens  that  when,  after  a 
long,  hard  day  in  the  hot  sun,  a  town  is  reached,  not  a 
plantain  or  a  cassava  root  is  to  be  obtained  at  any  price. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  Africa  with  all  its  richness  of 
vegetation,  is  as  good  a  country  to  starve  in  as  may  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  world.  It  is  not  safe  to  depend 
upon  getting  supplies  by  the  way,  even  for  your  men,  and  a 

208 


NOMBA  AND  OVEN  DO  POINT 

wise  traveler  will  always  carry  rice  and  meat  with  him  as 
a  reserve  in  case  of  need.  In  addition  to  food  for  himself 
and  men,  the  traveler  must  take  his  bedding,  if  he  wishes 
to  use  any,  change  of  clothes,  medicines,  cooking  utensils ; 
and  calico,  soap,  tobacco  and  other  articles,  to  use  as  money 
for  current  expenses  ;  and  guns  and  ammunition  if  he 
feels  afraid  or  wishes  to  do  any  hunting. 

It  is  a  disputed  point  whether  fire-arms  are  needed  in 
traveling  in  Africa ;  if  there  is  a  large  quantity  of 
goods  in  the  traveler's  possession,  they  are  needed ;  or, 
if  he  feels  afraid,  they  will  be  needed,  not  for  use, 
but  to  bolster  up  his  courage ;  for  it  will  not  do  to  go 
among  these  savages  with  a  half-frightened  look.  A 
brave  heart,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  language,  and  of  the 
working  of  the  native  mind,  with  a  fertility  of  resource 
tinder  varying  circumstances,  is  worth  far  more  to  help  a 
stranger  on  his  way,  than  all  the  weapons  that  can  be 
carried  ;  always  provided  there  is  not  a  great  quantity  of 
goods  to  excite  cupidity. 

In  the  present  instance  it  was  decided  to  do  a  little 
hunting  if  opportunity  offered,  as  the  Judge  had  brought 
out  a  beautiful  little  rifle  which  he  was  anxious  to  try ;  in 
addition  to  this  Mr.  Reading  borrowed  a  double-barreled, 
breach-loading  shot-gun  from  one  of  his  friends  on  the 
beach. 

The  French  authorities  will  permit  any  one  to  go  out 
on  the  river  for  a  ride  if  no  goods  are  taken,  provided  the 
matter  is  first  reported  at  the  police  station,  but  where 
goods,  even  in  small  quantities  for  current  needs,  are 
taken,  regular  clearance  papers  must  be  made  out  and 
duly  signed  at  the  custom-house  and  vised  at  the  police 
station — and  the  same  must  be  done  when  the  boat 
returns.  This  had  been  attended  to  on  Monday,  and  on 

xiv  209 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

Tuesday  morning  all  was  in  readiness  for  the  start.  The 
girls  were  to  remain  with  Mrs.  Reading  as  some  of  them 
were  not  very  well  and  they  were  not  yet  fully  rested  from 
the  long  ocean  voyage. 

There  are  two  very  nice  boats  belonging  to  the 
Gaboon  station,  the  "Christine"  and  the  "Minnesota," 
and  it  was  thought  best  to  take  them  both.  The  Kru- 
boys  carried  the  luggage  to  the  beach  and  put  the  boats 
in  the  water  while  Mr.  Reading  went  to  the  police  station 
to  show  his  papers.  Good  old  Uncle  Adande  went  along 
in  the  capacity  of  navigator,  for  he  is  a  famous  boatman 
and  always  knows  just  what  is  best  to  be  done  in  any 
emergency.  The  girls  came  down  to  the  beach  to  see  the 
party  off,  and  after  a  little  delay  they  started. 

It  was  a  cloudy  morning,  and  very  nice  to  be  out 
upon  the  water ;  the  tide  had  just  turned  to  flood,  and 
under  the  strong  strokes  of  the  Kru-boys  the  boats  went 
ahead  at  a  good  speed.  The  rocks  at  low  tide  compel  a 
boat  to  keep  out  pretty  well,  and  this  gave  a  wider  view 
ashore  than  if  they  had  skirted  the  beach ;  the  view  was 
lovely,  with  the  broad  river  on  one  side  and  the  town  and 
hills  on  the  other.  By  and  by  the  town  was  left  behind 
and  the  forest  came  down  to  the  shore  line. 

Canoes  were  passed,  some  laden  with  plantains  for 
sale  in  Gaboon,  and  others  with  palm-leaf  mats  for  house- 
roofing.  The  land-breeze  was  blowing  down  the  river 
and  the  canoes  were  coming  under  sail,  and  such  old  sails 
as  they  were  too,  made  of  all  colors  of  calico  sewed 
together,  looking,  as  the  boys  said,  "like  Joseph's  coat, 
only  more  ragged  and  dirty."  It  is  only  near  the  coast 
that  the  negro  uses  a  sail,  above  the  tide-water  region 
canoes  are  propelled  solely  by  paddles. 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

An  hour's  ride  brought  them  to  Nomba,  a  small 
village  about  three  miles  from  Gaboon  ;  here  a  creek 
comes  in,  but  there  was  not  water  enough  on  the  sand-bar 
at  its  mouth  for  the  boats  to  cross  yet,  so  Mr.  Reading, 
the  Judge,  and  Adande  went  up  to  the  village  to  make 
arrangements  for  spending  the  night,  leaving  the  boys  to 
watch  the  boats  and  run  about  the  beach  after  crabs, 
Nomba  has  no  king,  but  L,oembe  Morris,  a  rich  trader,  is 
the  most  influential  man. 

Mr.  Morris  had  been  educated  at  the  American 
Mission  and  was  a  really  intelligent  man ;  fortunately  he 
was  at  home,  and  was  delighted  to  learn  that  he  was  to 
have  so  many  visitors  in  the  evening ;  he  at  once  placed 
his  house  at  Mr.  Reading's  disposal  and  suggested  that 
whatever  in  the  boats  was  not  needed  for  the  day,  had 
better  be  brought  up  to  his  house  where  they  would  be  safe, 
and  this  was  done.  He  thought  the  idea  of  going  up  the 
creek  for  a  picnic  in  the  woods  wras  a  good  one,  and 
offered  to  go  along.  By  the  time  the  bedding  and  extra 
provisions  were  in  the  house,  the  water  had  risen  so  that 
the  boats  could  be  dragged  over  the  bar,  and  they  came 
up  to  the  town  landing  and  the  gentlemen  got  in.  Mr. 
Reading,  the  Judge  and  Loembe  went  in  the  "Christine," 
and  Adande  with  the  boys  in  the  "  Minnesota " ;  Mr. 
Reading  gave  Adande  the  gun  for  the  use  of  the  boys, 
and  the  Judge  had  his  rifle,  so  each  party  was  armed.  The 
boys  were  in  a  high  state  of  excitement,  expecting  no  end 
of  strange  adventures,  and  who  can  wonder  that  they 
did  so,  for  there  is  a  weirdness  about  African  river  travel 
that  fascinates  the  mind  and  prepares  it  to  believe  that 
almost  any  unusual  thing  might  occur. 

The  creek  was  about  forty  yards  wide,  and  for  the 
first  two  miles  was  bordered  by  mangroves ;  as  the  tide 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

was  yet  scarcely  half-full,  many  of  the  interlacing  roots 
were  exposed,  and  these  had  on  them  the  small  oysters 
which  give  rise  to  the  oft-repeated  story  of  oysters  grow- 
ing on  trees.  Oysters  cannot  grow  unless  they  have  some 
solid  substance  to  which  they  can  attach  themselves ;  in 
the  open  ocean  there  are  rocks  and  stones  on  the  bottom, 
hut  here  in  these  muddy  creeks  there  is  little  else  than  the 
mangrove  roots,  and  so  they  must  take  hold  of  these.  The 
African  oysters  are  very  small,  having  rather  dark-colored 
meat,  and  are  thought  to  be  unwholesome  because  of  the 
•dirty  water  in  which  they  live. 

An  hour  after  leaving  Nomba  the  character  of  the 
vegetation  changed ;  pandanus,  palms  and  other  water- 
loving  plants  were  mingled  with  the  mangroves,  and  in 
another  half-hour  the  latter  entirely  disappeared.  Here 
they  met  a  new  plant,  the  papyrus,  the  flags  or  bulrushes 
spoken  of  in  the  Bible,  among  which  Moses  was  hidden 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  interesting 
plant,  with  a  smooth,  slender  stem,  six  or  eight  feet  high, 
surmounted  with  a  tuft  or  head  two  feet  in  diameter,  of 
very  fine,  dark  green  leaves.  The  main  stem  of  the  plant 
creeps  along  the  river-bottom,  rooting  at  every  joint,  and 
sending  up  these  long,  slender  stems  which  rise  above  the 
water. 

There  is  a  small  bird  somewhat  like  a  Baltimore 
oriole  that  builds  its  nest  in  these  papyrus  heads,  and  is 
rocked  with  its  little  ones  to  sleep  by  every  passing  breeze. 
Other  birds  were  now  seen,  and  the  boys  were  on  the  look- 
out for  some  game.  Upon  the  topmost  branches  of  some 
of  the  larger  trees  great  white  fish-eagles  were  seen  calmly 
surveying  the  watery  jungle  beneath  them ;  they  appeared 
to  know  the  range  of  a  gun,  but  presently  the  Judge  tried 
his  rifle  on  one  and  succeeded  in  bringing  it  down — his 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

first  game  in  Africa.  The  Christine  turned  its  prow  into 
the  tangled  growth,  and  a  Kru-boy  clambered  ashore  and 
got  the  bird. 

A  little  further  up  the  stream  the  banks  became 
higher  and  the  upland  forest  began  to  give  the  country  a 
more  inviting  look ;  on  rounding  a  turn  Adande  spied 
two  monkeys  in  a  palm-tree  helping  themselves  to  the 
rich,  ripe  nuts.  The  boys  were  all  in  a  nutter  to  get  one 
of  them,  but  the  monkeys  heard  the  noise  of  the  oars  and 
jumped  out  of  the  palm-tree  in  a  hurry ;  they  did  not 
descend  to  the  ground,  but  leaped  from  one  tree  to  the 
outermost  branches  of  the  next,  ran  along  the  limbs  and 
lumped  to  another  tree,  and  so  away  off  in  the  forest  out 
of  harm's  way. 

Mr.  Reading  now  gave  the  order  for  the  oars  to  be 
taken  in  and  paddles  used  instead ;  the  Judge  was  stationed 
in  the  bow  of  the  Christine,  and  Adande  and  Frank  in 
the  bow  of  the  Minnesota,  and  one  boat  took  one  side  of 
the  creek,  and  the  other  boat  the  other  side.  The  paddles 
made  no  noise,  and  they  had  not  gone  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
when  another  monkey  was  seen,  a  real  hungry  fellow  who 
paid  all  attention  to  his  eating,  and  as  his  back  was  toward 
the  boats  he  did  not  see  them  and  the  Judge  brought  him 
down  very  neatly.  He  was  a  fine  fellow,  with  a  long  tail 
and  reddish  grey  fur. 

Soon  after  this,  a  flock  of  parrots  was  seen  on  a  tree 
a  short  distance  ahead  and  a  little  way  back  from  the 
water ;  Frank  wanted  to  try  his  hand  and  so  the  Minne- 
sota was  run  ashore  and  he  got  out  and  tried  to  make  his 
way  quietly  to  the  tree  where  they  were  feeding.  It  was 
no  easy  matter  to  get  through  the  undergrowth,  but  he 
was  a  plucky  boy  and  presently  he  was  near  enough  for  a 
shot,  and  to  his  great  delight  brought  down  a  fine  fellow. 

213 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

He  picked  up  liis  bird  and  made  his  way  back  to  the  boat, 
proud  and  happy,  but  with  hands  and  clothes  somewhat 
torn  by  the  briers.  The  parrot  was  greatly  admired  by 
the  boys ;  it  was  of  a  grey  color  and  had  a  bright  red  tail ; 
Adande  said  it  was  good  to  eat,  and  it  was  decided  to  have 
it  for  dinner. 

About  a  mile  farther  on,  just  as  the  Christine  was 
rounding  a  turn  in  the  creek,  the  Judge  saw  a  beautiful 
little  deer  drinking  at  the  water-side ;  he  motioned  with 
his  hand  for  the  paddlers  to  stop,  and  with  a  well-directed 
shot  secured  the  prize. 

Near  where  the  deer  was  killed  was  a  nice  open  place 
beneath  a  shady  tree,  suitable  for  a  camping-ground,  and 
it  was  agreed  to  land  here  and  have  dinner  as  all  were 
hungry  and  the  sun  was  getting  hot ;  the  boats  were 
drawn  up  beside  the  bank  and  made  fast  to  the  bushes, 
and  the  cooking  pots,  plantains  and  other  food  were 
brought  ashore. 

Here  a  new  difficulty  presented  itself — there  was  no 
good  place  to  sit  down.  There  is  no  grass  or  carpet  of 
moss  in  the  woods  of  Africa,  and  the  ground  is  usually 
damp  and  unpleasant;  the  bedding  had  been  left  at 
Nomba,  and  all  that  could  be  done  was  to  have  the  Kru- 
boys  gather  plenty  of  the  broad  leaves  that  grow  abun- 
dantly, and  make  lounging  places  of  them.  When  this 
was  done,  fires  were  built  and  the  kettle  put  on  to  boil 
water  for  tea ;  plantains  were  given  to  the  men  for  their 
dinner,  and  also  the  monkey  and  eagle ;  Frank  held  on  to 
his  parrot,  and  the  deer  was  reserved  for  the  white  folks 
and  Adande  and  Loembe.  The  game  was  taken  off  a 
little  distance  to  be  skinned  and  prepared,  and  while 
preparations  were  being  made  for  cooking,  the  Judge  and 
the  boys  lay  down  on  the  leaves  to  rest,  after  having  first 

214 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

dnink  a  cup  of  tea.  It  takes  longer  to  get  dinner  ready 
in  the  forest  than  one  would  think,  and  it  was  two  hours 
before  the  Kru-boys  announced  the  welcome  fact  that  it 
was  prepared.  A  part  of  the  deer  had  been  cut  up  in 
pieces  and  stewed  in  an  iron  pot,  and  two  nice  long  joints 
had  been  cooked  by  running  sticks  through  them  and 
toasting  them  over  the  coals;  plantains  had  been  boiled, 
and  there  was  bread  and  butter  that  Mrs.  Reading  had 
provided. 

It  was  in  many  ways  delightful  to  eat  here  in  the 
wild  woods,  but  after  all  it  was  not  so  handy  to  reach 
down  to  the  ground  for  every  mouthful  of  food,  and  the 
beys  began  to  realize  what  handy  things  tables  and  chairs 
are :  the  greatest  difficulty  seemed  to  be  to  know  where 
to  put  one's  legs,  they  were  always  in  the  way  and  it  was 
all  the  boys  could  do  to  keep  from  knocking  something 
over  with  their  feet.  Mr.  Reading  told  them  he  once 
had  a  nice  table  made  with  movable  top  and  folding- 
legs,  but  he  found  it  was  too  much  trouble  to  carry  it 
with  him,  as  food  and  other  necessaries  took  up  what 
little  room  there  was  in  the  canoe,  so  that  he  left  it  at 
home  after  one  trip. 

They  had  only  begun  eating  when  a  shot  was  heard 
in  the  forest  and  Mr.  Reading  turned  to  Adande  to  inquire 
what  it  was,  then  it  was  discovered  that  Adande  and 
Loeinbe  were  gone,  their  absence  had  not  been  noticed 
before;  the  shot-gun  was  gone  too,  and  it  was  evident 
these  two  old  men  had  gone  off  to  see  what  they  could  do 
in  the  way  of  hunting.  In  a  few  minutes  Adande's  voice 
was  heard  calling  the  Kru-boys,  and  then  it  was  certain 
some  animal  had  been  killed  ;  the  Kru-boys  hurried  into 
the  bush  in  the  direction  of  the  voice  and  presently 
returned  dragging  a  wild  pig  which  Adande  had  shot 

215 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

This  pig  was  different  from  any  the  Judge  or  trie 
boys  had  ever  seen ;  it  was  of  a  reddish  color,  like  a  breed 
of  hogs  in  America  called  Jersey  Reds,  and  had  very  long 
ears  that  lay  back  upon  its  shoulders  and  ended  in  tufts 
of  long  hair ;  upon  the  face  were  two  large  warts,  and  the 
body  was  not  so  fat  and  round  as  is  usual  with  the  domestic 
hog.  The  boys  greeted  the  advent  into  the  camp  of  the 
dead  pig  with  a  cheer,  and  were  too  excited  to  care  much 
for  dinner ;  as  for  Adande  and  Loembe,  they  looked  happy 
and  satisfied,  and  while  they  said  nothing  it  was  evident 
they  had  noted  the  fact  that  they  had  secured  the  biggest 
game. 

After  the  men  had  eaten  and  enjoyed  a  good  smoke, 
the  dead  pig  and  cooking  utensils  were  put  in  the  boats 
and  the  bows  turned  down  stream  ;  the  tide  had  just  begun 
to  ebb  and  so  was  in  their  favor,  and  they  went  along  at 
a  lively  pace,  reaching  Nomba  at  five  o'clock.  The  people 
of  Nomba  were  glad  to  see  them  back,  and  especially  to 
see  the  pig,  for  in  Africa,  whenever  a  man  has  secured 
fish  or  game,  he  cannot  keep  it  all  to  himself  but  must 
divide  it  with  his  neighbors,  and  so  when  the  villagers 
saw  the  pig  they  knew  they  would  have  a  piece  of  meat 
for  supper. 

Loembe  made  Mr.  Reading  and  his  friends  at  home 
in  his  house ;  it  was  a  comfortable  house,  built  of  boards 
raised  on  posts  five  feet  above  the  ground,  like  the 
mission  houses  at  Baraka ;  Adande  and  the  Kru-boys  had 
a  bamboo  house  set  apart  for  them.  In  the  evening  Mr. 
Reading  and  Adande  held  a  preaching  service  and  when 
that  was  over  the  villagers  got  up  a  dance  in  honor  of  the 
distinguished  visitors  that  had  come  to  their  town. 

Men  and  women  do  not  dance  together  as  in  civilized 
lands,  but  in  parallel  lines  facing  each  other,  the  men  on 

216 


AN   AFRICAN    BELLE 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

one  side  and  the  women  on  the  other.  There  are  several 
kinds  of  dances,  most  of  which  have  been  interdicted  by 
the  Church  because  connected  in  one  way  or  another  with 
heathen  practices ;  simple  dancing  does  no  harm,  but  the 
dancers,  like  those  of  Christian  lands,  too  often  resort  to 
strong  drink  to  increase  the  excitement  and  consequent 
enjoyment,  and  this  of  course  can  only  be  condemned. 

After  the  people  had  danced  an  hour,  the  Judge 
thanked  them  for  the  compliment  they  had  intended  and 
Mr.  Reading  distributed  some  tobacco  among  them  and 
sent  them  to  their  houses  and  told  them  to  go  to  sleep. 
IvOembe,  the  Judge  and  Mr.  Reading  had  each  a  good  bedr 
and  the  boys  rolled  themselves  in  their  blankets  and  slept 
on  the  floor. 

Wednesday  morning  every  one  was  up  bright  and 
early ;  it  was  a  little  cool  and  a  slight  mist  hung  over  the 
creek  and  the  flooded  land  near  it ;  the  people  of  the  town 
felt  the  cold,  and  moved  about  with  their  cloths  wrapped 
tightly  around  them ;  and  yet  it  was  not  really  cold,  for 
the  thermometer  registered  86°  Fahr.,  but  the  early 
morning  air  always  seems  chilly  until  the  sun  has  dis- 
pelled the  night  mists. 

While  our  friends  were  drinking  coffee  the  Kru-boys 
were  putting  the  luggage  in  the  boats  and  by  a  little  after 
seven  they  had  said  " good-bye"  to  Loembe  and  the  good 
people  of  Nomba  and  were  on  their  way  up  the  river. 
Several  fishing  canoes  were  passed  and  the  boys  were 
greatly  interested  in  watching  the  men  throw  the  nets. 

These  nets  are  circular  at  the  bottom  and  cone-shaped, 
running  up  to  a  point  at  the  top,  to  which  a  long  cord  is 
attached ;  around  the  bottom  is  a  row  of  lead  sinkers  to 
make  the  net  settle  down  in  the  water.  Two  men  go  out 
in  a  canoe  together,  one  sitting  in  the  stern  to  paddle,  and 

217 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

the  other  standing  in  the  bow  to  throw  the  net.  The  fish 
are  mostly  of  a  kind  that  swim  near  the  surface  of  the 
water  ;  some  are  much  like  our  herring,  and  others  are 
like  mullet,  while  a  few  are  large  ones  like  bass  and  sea- 
trout.  The  fisherman  gathers  the  net  on  his  left  arm, 
holding  the  coil  of  heavy  cord  to  which  it  is  fastened,  in 
his  hand ;  the  lower  edge  of  the  net  is  taken  in  his  teeth, 
and  a  part  of  it  in  his  right  hand.  There  he  stands  in 
the  bow  of  the  canoe  awaiting  his  opportunity  while  his 
companion  noiselessly  propels  the  canoe  to  the  place  where 
the  unsuspecting  fishes  are  playing  about;  when  the 
proper  moment  has  come,  the  net  is  thrown  and  falls  all 
spread  out  flat  upon  the  water  with  a  loud  splash. 

One  would  naturally  think,  if  the  fish  had  a  grain  of 
sense,  they  would  get  out  from  under  the  net  and  make 
their  escape,  but  for  some  unaccountable  reason  they  do 
not,  and  the  sinkers  draw  the  net  down  in  the  water  until 
the  outer  edge  has  come  together  in  a  bunch  in  the  middle 
like  a  bag  that  is  closed  with  a  shirr-string,  and  the  fish  are 
enclosed  in  it.  The  fisherman  now  drags  the  net  endways 
into  the  canoe,  knocks  the  fish  on  the  head  with  a  short 
club  carried  for  the  purpose,  shakes  them  out  into  the 
canoe,  and  gathers  up  his  net  for  another  throw.  It  was 
very  fascinating  to  watch  them  and  the  boats  remained 
near  the  canoes  nearly  an  hour  to  give  the  boys  a  good 
opportunity  to  see  this  novel  method  of  fishing. 

A  few  miles  above  Nomba  the  grass  fields  came  down 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  several  little  clusters  of  houses 
were  seen,  showing  there  were  plantations  near  by.  The 
people  of  Gaboon,  like  the  wealthier  inhabitants  of  our 
cities,  have  their  country  places  to  which  they  retire  in 
June,  July,  and  August,  which  is  the  "season"  here  as 
well  as  in  America.  They  spend  their  time  hunting, 

218 


NOME  A  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

fishing,  gardening,  and  making  mats  for  roofing  their 
houses.  When  the  rains  begin  they  go  back  to  town  and 
leave  their  country  places  in  charge  of  slaves,  with  usually 
one  of  their  wives  as  overseer ;  these  slaves  tend  the  crop 
and  if  there  is  more  food  than  they  can  eat  they  take  it 
to  the  owner  in  town  to  help  support  his  family. 

A  little  after  ten  o'clock  they  landed  at  Ovendo 
Point,  a  bold  grassy  headland  that  stands  at  a  break  in  the 
shore-line  where  it  sweeps  around  to  form  a  deep  bay. 
There  is  a  good-sized  town  on  the  flat  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  where  Mr.  Reading  had  stationed  one  of  his  Bible- 
readers,  a  young  man  named  Igui  [E-goo-wee].  The 
people  came  down  to  the  landing  to  salute  the  strangers 
and  after  the  luggage  was  taken  from  the  boats  they  were 
anchored  a  short  distance  from  the  beach  and  then  all 
went  up  to  the  village,  the  Kru-boys  carrying  the  things. 
Xews  had  spread  through  the  town  that  strangers  had 
arrived,  and  they  were  gazed  at  as  they  passed  along,  after 
the  usual  village  fashion.  The  chief  of  the  village  placed 
his  house  at  the  disposal  of  the  white  folks  and  Adande 
and  the  Kru-boys  found  places  in  a  house  near  by.  The 
little  school  Igui  was  teaching  had  its  session  quite  broken 
up  by  the  advent  of  the  strangers,  and  the  young  man 
came  promptly  to  pay  his  respects  and  hear  the  news. 

When  a  traveling  party  enters  an  African  village  it 
is  escorted  to  some  public  place,  generally  a  house  in  the 
middle  of  the  street  built  for  a  lounging-place  and  central 
news  depot,  and  after  the  principal  persons  of  the  town 
have  paid  their  respects,  one  of  the  strangers  tells  who 
they  are,  what  are  the  objects  of  the  journey  and  the 
incidents  that  have  occurred  by  the  way ;  a  crowd  gathers 
round  to  listen  and  express  their  approval  or  disapproval 
by  various  exclamations.  When  the  story  is  finished 

219 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

houses  are  provided  for  their  accommodation  and  they 
settle  down  as  a  part  of  the  population  for  the  time  they 
are  to  stay. 

When  Mr.  Reading  and  his  friends  were  seated, 
Adande  gave  a  short  history  of  the  journey,  not  forget- 
ting to  tell  of  the  death  of  the  pig,  and  also  explained 
who  the  Judge  and  the  boys  were,  and  why  they  came 
to  Africa ;  he  ended  by  saying  they  had  started  early 
and  the  white  folks  were  tired  and  hungry.  This  hint 
had  a  good  effect,  the  people  scattered  to  discuss  the 
strangers,  and  the  chief  invited  his  guests  to  come  in  the 
house  and  lie  down  if  they  felt  so  inclined,  which  they 
were  very  glad  to  do.  It  takes  but  little  exertion  in  the 
African  climate  to  make  one  tired,  and  it  is  always  best 
anyway  to  rest,  not  sleep,  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

Soon  after  the  Judge  and  the  boys  had  retired, 
Adande  came  in  to  report  that  the  chief  had  brought  as 
a  present  two  chickens  and  two  bunches  of  plantains, 
and  Mr.  Reading  went  out  to  receive  them,  and  also  to 
give  out  the  rations  to  the  men  and  to  see  about  dinner. 
The  food  question  in  Africa  is  an  important  one  for  both 
the  master  and  his  people  ;  if  your  men  are  well  fed,  and 
especially  if  they  have  enough  meat  to  satisfy  them,  they 
will  do  almost  anything  for  you,  and  it  is  always  best  for 
the  master  to  give  every  man's  daily  rations  into  his  own 
hand,  as  it  is  sure  to  save  much  quarreling. 

After  dinner  Igui  came  in  and  gave  a  report  of  his 
work ;  his  little  school  was  prospering,  having  now  twen- 
ty-two scholars,  and  the  people  fairly  attentive  upon  the 
Sabbath  services ;  they  were  all  anxious  to  have  a  church 
built,  and  were  ready  to  do  all  they  were  able  to  assist  in 
its  erection. 


AN   AFRICAN    KING 


NOMBA  AND  OVEXDO  POINT 

About  four  o'clock  Adande  and  the  boys  went  out 
for  a  stroll  over  the  hills ;  they  took  the  gun  with  them 
thinking  they  might  be  able  to  shoot  something.  They 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  Cape  and  were  rewarded  by  a 
wide  view  of  the  river.  It  was  so  far  to  the  opposite 
shore  that  all  they  could  see  was  a  low  line  of  dark  green. 
Up  river  were  two  large  islands  thickly  covered  with  trees, 
and  around  to  the  left  was  a  large  bay  into  which  the 
Ikoi  river  emptied ;  011  the  farther  shores  of  the  bay  are  the 
first  cannibal  villages,  a  people  the  boys  had  often  heard 
of,  but  were  just  a  little  afraid  to  meet.  When  they  had 
rested  a  little  and  enjoyed  the  view  they  walked  back 
along  the  ridge  and  kept  a  good  lookout  for  game,  but 
they  were  too  near  the  village  and  none  was  seen. 

On  their  way  back,  Frank  was  tempted  to  try  his 
skill  on  a  flock  of  parrots  that  flew  overhead,  and  to  the 
surprise  of  Adande  succeeded  in  bringing  one  down ;  it 
was  not  dead,  but  had  a  wing  broken  and  was  only  cap- 
tured after  a  lively  skirmish.  Parrots  have  such  strong 
bills  they  can  bite  very  hard,  and  a  wild  one,  especially 
when  wounded,  is  a  savage  bird.  Frank  wished  to  keep 
the  parrot  until  its  wing  healed  and  then  take  it  to 
America  with  him,  and  this  he  succeeded  in  doing, 
although  it  was  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  bother.  The 
boys  had  serious  trouble  when  they  reached  the  village  in 
tying  on  a  bandage  so  as  to  hold  the  broken  wing  in  place, 
but  they  succeeded  after  being  severely  bitten. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Reading  and  Adande  held  a 
preaching  service,  as  they  had  done  the  night  before  at 
Nomba,  and  then  Judge  McGee  had  a  long  talk  with  the 
old  men  about  their  country,  customs  and  superstitions ; 
they  insisted  that  the  God  who  made  the  white  man  was 
not  the  God  who  made  the  black  man,  and  that  the  white 


NOMBA  AND  OVENDO  POINT 

man's  fashions  were  no  doubt  the  best  for  him,  but  they 
did  not  suit  the  black  man's  condition  and  therefore  it 
was  unreasonable  to  expect  him  to  adopt  them.  They 
thought  there  were  a  great  multitude  of  spirits  every- 
where in  the  air  about  us,  but  all  invisible  to  mortal  eyes ; 
and  that  these  spirits  -were  responsible  for  all  natural  phe- 
nomena such  as  clouds,  storm  and  rain,  and  that  they  also 
were  constantly  interfering  in  the  affairs  of  men.  These 
spirits  were  much  to  be  feared,  for  in  addition  to  being 
powerful  they  could  work  unseen  and  so  their  efforts  could 
not  be  counteracted.  Besides  these  free  spirits,  there  were 
the  disembodied  souls  of  men,  who  lingered  about  their 
former  habitations,  and  were  able  to  do  much  harm 
to  those  they  disliked.  The  old  chief  thought  the  best 
way  to  deal  with  these  was  to  drive  them  out  of  town,  and 
this  he  said  he  always  did  whenever  any  one  died,  by 
firing  off  plenty  of  guns. 

The  Judge  asked  him  if  the  souls  would  not  come 
back  again,  and  the  chief  answered  that  he  prevented 
this  by  the  powerful  fetiches  which  he  hung  up  on  poles 
at  the  entrance  of  the  village.  L,ong  and  earnest  was  the 
conversation,  and  the  Judge  was  surprised  to  see  how  well 
the  old  African  held  his  own  in  the  argument.  On 
Thursday  morning  our  friends  left  the  kind  people  of 
Ovendo  and  after  a  pleasant  ride  reached  Baraka,  hot  and 
tired,  and  glad  to  have  a  good  place  for  resting. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT. 


ffl 


R.  and  Mrs.  Reading  made  up  their  minds 
to  give  their  guests  a  picnic,  as  the  bright 
summer  weather  was  quite  suggestive  of 
pleasant  days  spent  in  the  woods  and  by 
the  sea-shore  in  the  home-land,  and  they  wished  to  make 
the  visit  of  their  friends  as  agreeable  as  possible. 

To  be  sure,  it  was  some  work  to  get  ready,  but  in 
this  world  every  desirable  result  requires  effort,  and  plenty 
of  it,  and  besides,  there  were  many  willing  hands  to  help ; 
so  it  was  decided  to  start  on  Tuesday  morning  of  the  week 
following  the  trip  to  Ovendo.  Mr.  Reading's  part  was  to 
secure  the  boats  and  crews  and  make  all  the  business 
arrangements,  while  in  the  house  the  ladies  baked  and 
prepared  all  sorts  of  good  things  and  got  together  bed- 
ding and  other  comforts ;  for  the  intention  was  to  cross 
the  river  and  remain  a\vay  two  nights.  To  be  sure,  the  dis- 
tance was  not  great,  but  the  rate  of  locomotion  was  slow, 
for  the  improved  methods  of  travel  have  not  yet  been, 
engrafted  upon  the  heathendom  of  this  sunny  land. 

223 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

On  Monday  morning  Kamanandi  was  sent  across  the 
river  to  give  notice  that  Mr.  Reading  and  his  friends  were 
coining,  so  that  accommodations  might  be  provided ;  and 
all  the  necessary  permits  for  the  embarkation  were  secured 
frcm  the  government  officials.  Early  Tuesday  morning 
the  household  were  astir,  and  after  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
some  bread  and  butter,  the  Kru-boys  came  in  and  carried 
all  the  food  and  luggage  to  the  beach.  Mr.  Reading  had 
already  gone  down  some  time  before,  and  when  Mrs. 
Reading  and  her  guests  arrived  he  had  two  boats  in  the 
water  ready  for  them  [one  of  these  had  been  borrowed 
from  a  trader,  for  the  Christine  was  too  small],  and  the 
big  surf-boat  was  at  anchor  just  beyond  the  breakers,  in 
which  the  luggage  was  to  be  sent  direct  to  King  William's 
town  where  the  night  was  to  be  spent. 

Several  of  the  church  people  came  down  to  the  beach 
to  bid  them  good-bye,  and  the  police  officer  walked  over 
to  wish  them  "bon  voyage."  Embarkation  through  the 
surf  at  Gaboon  is  always  somewhat  trying,  but  at  length 
they  were  off  and  the  three  boats  made  quite  a  little  fleet ; 
the  land-breeze  was  blowing  gently  and  the  sails  were 
hoisted,  giving  the  boats  a  more  easy  motion  than  oars, 
and  making  it  easier  for  the  crews. 

The  Gaboon  river  is  so  wide  that  the  first  hour's  sail- 
ing seemed  to  make  no  impression  on  the  opposite  shore ; 
then  presently  it  crept  a  little  nearer,  objects  began  to 
take  some  definite  shape,  and  by  the  end  of  another  hour 
they  felt  that  they  were  across  although  they  were  still 
half  a  mile  from  shore.  The  surf-boat  was  a  slow  sailer 
and  had  fallen  a  long  distance  behind ;  it  was  heading  for 
King  William's  town  which  is  some  distance  up  the  river, 
and,  leaving  it  to  take  care  of  itself,  the  two  gigs  ran 


224 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

before  the  wind  and  headed  for  Sandy  Point  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river. 

The  south  shore  of  the  Gaboon  river  is  flat  and 
sandy  and  the  deep  water  conies  right  up  to  the  beach ; 
the  Point,  too,  keeps  off  the  ocean  swells  and  the  water  is 
more  quiet  than  on  the  northern  shore,  but  just  where  the 
river  current  meets  the  tide  there  is  considerable  commo- 
tion and  it  is  not  always  safe  for  a  boat  or  canoe.  Mr. 
Reading  thought  best  to  land  just  inside  the  cape  and 
walk  down  the  beach  to  the  woods,  only  a  mile  away, 
while  the  boats  came  round  at  their  leisure. 

It  was  now  ten  o'clock,  but  it  was  a  little  cloudy  and 
the  sun  not  so  hot  as  usual,  so  that  here  on  the  ocean 
beach  it  was  delightful  to  walk ;  shells  of  several  varieties 
were  abundant,  and  the  boys  had  jolly  times  chasing  the 
great  sand-crabs  that  ran  about  in  considerable  numbers. 
As  Lizzie  could  not  keep  up  with  the  rest,  Hattie  and 
Gertrude,  two  members  of  the  choir  who  had  come  along 
to  assist  Mrs.  Reading,  carried  her  by  turns.  There  was 
abundant  time  and  no  occasion  to  hurry  and  the  picnicers 
took  it  slow  and  easy,  giving  the  young  people  ample 
opportunity  to  race  around  and  enjoy  themselves ;  and  in 
truth  it  wras  delightful  here,  the  great  wraves  rolled  in  so 
grandly  and  broke  in  foam  upon  the  sandy  shore,  while 
the  duties  of  active  life  having  been  left  behind,  the  mind 
was  free  to  enjoy  the  beauties  of  nature. 

A  mile  below  the  Point  there  is  a  rocky  headland 
covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  palms  and  other  trees,  and 
here  the  party  sat  down  in  the  cool  shade  and  rested  until 
the  boats  came  up  and  landed  the  dinner  baskets.  A 
short  reef  of  rocks  extended  out  from  the  headland  and 
made  a  little  sheltered  bay  where  the  boats  were  anchored. 
The  Kru-boys  carried  the  baskets  to  a  nice  shady  place 

xv  225 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

among  the  rocks,  where  dinner  was  prepared  under  Mrs. 
Reading's  directions  by  Hattie  and  Gertrude,  assisted  by 
the  girls. 

The  Kru-boys  cooked  their  plantains  at  a  little  dis- 
tance and  also  boiled  water  to  make  tea.  In  hot  weather 
at  home  we  think  we  must  drink  ice-water  to  cool  us,  but 
there  is  no  ice  in  Western  Africa  nor  even  cold  water ; 
drinking  water  is  always  warm,  or  at  least  tepid,  and  hot 
drinks  are  used  instead.  Not  only  are  hot  drinks  in  uni- 
versal use,  but  those  who  have  been  long  on  the  coast 
follow  the  native  custom  of  eating  quantities  of  chilli  pep- 
pers. This  to  a  northern  mind  would  seem  to  be  highly 
injurious,  but  the  opposite  is  true,  and  not  only  are  pep- 
pers wholesome  as  food,  but  they  are  an  excellent  remedy 
in  fevers.  The  power  of  the  sun  which  stimulates  vege- 
table growth  into  unwonted  activity,  has  a  depressing 
effect  upon  animal  life,  and  stimulants  are  demanded. 
Alcohol  in  every  form,  experience  has  proved  to  be  injur- 
ious, and  so  also  is  quinine  though  in  less  degree,  but  pep- 
pers in  any  reasonable  quantity  do  no  harm  and  impart  a 
a  grateful  glow  to  the  system. 

This  headland  by  the  sea  was  a  better  camping  place 
than  the  gentlemen  had  found  in  the  forest  on  the  Nomba 
creek,  for  there  were  stones  of  various  sizes  for  seats,  and 
some  little  patches  of  grass  here  and  there  did  very  well 
as  lounging  places.  Inland  was  a  wide  prairie  with 
clumps  of  trees  here  and  there  giving  it  a  park  like 
appearance ;  this  lovely  prairie  on  the  one  side  and  the 
blue  sea  on  the  other,  made  a  very  attractive  picture.  In 
the  trees  over  their  heads  little  birds  were  flitting  about, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  grove  parrots  were  whistling  and 
talking  to  one  another  as  they  fed  upon  the  ripe  palm- 
nuts. 


226 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

Dinner  was  over,  and  the  picnicers  were  taking 
things  as  easy  and  comfortable  as  possible  and  engaged  in 
quiet  conversation,  when  a  rustling  was  heard  in  the 
bushes,  and,  looking  up,  there  stood  a  native  African, 
pure  and  simple — a  chimpanzee !  He  was  a  fine  fellow, 
standing  nearly  three  feet  in  height,  and  surveyed  the 
pale-faced  party  with  a  puzzled  look.  To  the  frightened 
girls  he  appeared  the  size  of  a  giant  big  enough  to  swallow 
them  all,  and  they  screamed  in  a  manner  befitting  the 
occasion ;  the  boys  were  quite  as  much  frightened  as  the 
girls,  and  even  little  Lizzie,  who  ought  to  have  known 
better,  was  panic-stricken  as  well  as  the  rest. 

The  young  folks  lost  no  time  in  scrambling  to  their 
feet  and  running  away,  upsetting  some  of  the  dishes  and 
breaking  them  as  they  did  so,  and  the  chimpanzee,  equally 
alarmed  at  all  this  outcry,  scampered  into  the  woods,  glad 
to  be  able  to  save  his  life.  Tha  Kru-boys  took  in  the  situa- 
tion, and  seizing  a  machete  which  they  had  used  to  cut 
fire-wood,  hurried  after  the  intruder ;  but  they  could  not 
catch  him  and  he  got  away,  to  their  sorrow,  for  to  them 
it  meant  the  loss  of  just  so  much  fresh  meat. 

This  incident  broke  up  the  picnic  and  although  it  was 
still  early  in  the  afternoon  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
pack  up  and  go.  The  sea-breeze  was  now  coming  in,  and 
with  umbrellas  to  keep  off  the  sun,  the  walk  to  the  Point 
was  enjoyable ;  here  the  boats  met  them,  and  they  got  in 
and  sailed  up  the  river  to  King  William's  town.  The  vil- 
lagers saw  the  boat  coming  and  were  waiting  at  the  land- 
ing to  welcome  the  visitors ;  King  William  was  there  too ; 
he  usually  resides  at  his  plantation,  but  when  Kama- 
nandi  brought  the  word  that  his  friend,  Mr.  Reading, 
was  coining,  he  had  hurried  into  town. 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

Ntyndorema,  the  cook,  had  come  with  the  surf-boat 
and  he  had  gotten  things  ready  to  get  supper  whenever  it 
might  be  needed ;  when  he  saw  the  boat  coming  so  early 
he  had  prepared  tea,  and  this  was  served  as  soon  as  the 
party  had  reached  the  King's  house  and  taken  seats. 
After  the  tea  Adande  gave  an  account  of  the  day's  occur- 
rences and  explained  who  the  visitors  were;  when  he 
told  about  the  chimpanzee  they  all  declared  it  was  a  witch 
or  it  would  never  have  shown  itself  to  the  white  man  in 
such  a  manner. 

King  William  II.  is  a  man  about  fifty  years  of  age, 
having  had  a  good  education,  and  is  quiet  and  pleasant  in 
his  manner.  His  father,  or  Old  King  William,  as  he  is 
called,  was  a  wonderful  man  in  his  day ;  a  man  of  strong 
character,  shrewd,  far-sighted  and  a  thorough  politician. 
He  died  a  few  years  ago,  full  of  years  and  honors.  In  his 
last  years  he  was  much  troubled  with  tooth-ache  and  his 
people  declared  that  he  was  so  old  he  was  cutting  his 
fourth  set  of  teeth.  He  possessed  a  hundred  wives  and  a 
great  many  slaves;  when  dying  he  expressed  the  wish 
that  none  of  these  might  be  killed  over  his  grave,  but  it 
is  commonly  believed  that  some  were  put  to  death  secretly. 
His  family  would  esteem  it  a  deep  disgrace  for  so  great  a 
man  as  he  to  enter  the  spirit-world  without  attendants. 
Gilt  crowns,  sceptres,  gold  chains  and  other  valuable  pres- 
ents, were  given  him  by  some  of  the  governments  of 
Europe,  and  these  are  now  in  the  possession  of  his  son. 

When  the  conference  was  over  Mrs.  Reading  and  the 
girls  went  to  the  house  appointed  for  them,  which  was 
built  of  boards  and  elevated  on  posts  in  the  usual  style ; 
there  were  three  or  four  beds  made  by  native  carpenters, 
and  for  the  rest  beds  had  been  made  on  the  floor.  Over 
all  these  were  mosquito  nets  made  of  bright-colored  calico, 

228 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

for  on  this  side  of  the  river  there  are  a  number  of  mosqui- 
toes, while  on  the  north  side  there  are  scarcely  any. 

All  the  natives  of  Central  Africa,  except  the  very 
poorest,  sleep  under  these  nets  whether  there  are  mosqui- 
toes or  not ;  when  foreign  cloth  is  not  available  they  are 
made  of  the  yellow  grass-cloth  mats  manufactured  in 
many  parts  of  the  interior;  these  mats  are  so  closely 
woven  as  scarcely  to  admit  any  air  passing  through  them, 
and  how  the  people  keep  from  smothering  is  somewhat 
hard  to  understand. 

Most  of  the  women  of  the  town  came  in  to  have  a  chat 
and  take  a  good  look  at  the  young  ladies ;  the  hair  excited 
their  wonder  more  than  anything  else,  especially  its 
length.  The  wool  of  the  negro  not  infrequently  attains 
the  length  of  ten  to  twelve  inches,  but  as  it  is  usually 
matted  up  or  tied  close  to  the  head,  the  length  is  not 
apparent,  and  a  white  lady's  hair,  especially  if  she  let  it 
hang  down,  seems  to  her  black  sisters  very  wonderful 
indeed.  These  African  mothers  told  of  some  of  the  trials 
of  their  home-life,  but  as  it  was  all  through  an  interpreter 
the  conversation  was  not  as  satisfactory  as  if  they  could 
have  expressed  themselves  in  English.  Making  allowance 
for  the  difference  in  country,  race  and  national  customs,  it 
was  wonderful  to  learn  that  the  little  things  that  trouble 
us  and  disturb  our  equanimity  were  the  very  trials  of 
which  these  poor  African  mothers  complained.  With 
them  as  with  us,  a  kind  word  and  a  little  generous  sym- 
pathy— things  that  cost  us  only  a  slight  effort — are  highly 
valued  and  do  much  to  dispel  the  gloom  from  the  mind, 
and  brighten  and  cheer  the  spirit. 

After  supper  the  to\vn's  people  were  called  together 
and  Mr.  Reading  and  Adande  held  a  preaching  service; 
then  the  ladies  retired  to  their  house,  while  the  gentle- 

229 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

men  and  the  boys  arranged  to  go  fishing.  King  William, 
had  a  long  seine  or  fishing  net  that  some  one  had  imported 
for  him  from  England ;  this  great  net  was  put  up  in  the 
stern  of  one  canoe,  and  another  took  the  fishing  party  to 
the  scene  of  operations  which  was  down  toward  Sandy 
Point. 

When  the  fishing-ground  was  reached  the  second 
canoe  was  drawn  ashore  and  the  visitors  landed ;  the  rope 
attached  to  the  land  end  of  the  net  was  taken  by  the 
shore  party  and  the  net  was  gradually  payed  out  in  a  half 
circle,  and  then  the  crew  pulled  slowly  for  shore  drawing 
their  end  of  the  net  after  them.  The  boys  eagerly 
watched  the  sport  and  followed  closely  the  land  party  who 
walked  slowly  along  the  beach  as  the  net  drifted  with  the 
tide ;  the  Judge  lingered  somewhat  behind,  for  to  him  the 
half  naked  fishermen  on  this  wild  coast  presented  a  scene 
more  attractive  than  the  mere  securing  of  fish. 

The  moon,  obscured  by  broken  cloud  masses  that 
drifted  to  the  northeast,  threw  a  fitful  light  over  the  men, 
and  his  mind  went  back  eighteen  hundred  years  to  those 
midnight  toilers  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  who  saw  by  the 
first  dawning  light  One  who  inquired  of  them,  "Children, 
have  ye  any  meat?"  and  he  thought  of  the  light  that 
now  was  dawning  on  this  dark  land,  a  "light  to  lighten 
the  Gentiles,"  brought  from  heaven  by  that  divine  One 
who  in  the  early  morning  of  the  olden  days  trod  the 
shores  of  Galilee  closely  watching  his  disciples  as  they 
fished,  and  he  wondered  if  that  same  Almighty  One 
might  not  be  treading  the  shores  of  this  far  off  land 
watching  His  toilers  as  they  sought  to  catch  its  people  in 
the  gospel  net. 

As  Peter  and  his  companions  toiled  through  the  length- 
ening hours  of  the  night,  they  knew  not  that  Jesus  was 

230 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

watching  from  the  shore,  noting  all  their  efforts,  their  suc- 
cesses, their  failures,  and  who  can  tell  if  He  is  watching 
His  workers  now  as  surely  and  as  lovingly  as  He  did 
through  the  night  by  Galilee  ? 

The  reverie  was  broken  by  the  shouts  of  the  boys 
over  the  fish  as  the  "bag"  of  the  net  was  drawn  ashore, 
and  the  Judge  hurried  forward  to  see  the  game.  The 
haul  had  been  fairly  successful,  and  the  boys  were  in  high 
glee,  more  especially  as  some  of  the  fish  were  of  strange 
forms,  quite  different  from  any  they  had  before  seen. 
King  William  and  his  men  were  in  good  spirits  and 
made  ready  the  net  for  another  haul,  and  so  continued 
until  midnight,  when  the  net  was  drawn  in  the  canoe  and 
all  hands  returned  to  town  pretty  well  tired  out ;  there 
was  a  goodly  pile  of  fish  as  they  all  lay  together  but  when 
divided  it  did  not  seem  so  much  after  all. 

The  next  morning  there  were  fresh  fish  for  breakfast 
and  they  were  good  too;  Ntyndorema  cooked  them  by 
running  a  green  stick  lengthwise  through  them  and  then 
toasting  them  over  the  coals ;  if  they  fall  in  the  ashes  a 
few  times  before  they  are  done,  as  they  are  quite  likely  to 
do,  it  makes  no  difference,  the  ashes  are  easily  brushed  off 
with  the  hand  and  fish  taste  better  when  they  have  the 
flavor  of  the  wood  through  them. 

The  gentlemen  concluded  to  walk  out  to  the  planta- 
tions, but  the  ladies  thought  best  to  remain  in  the  vil- 
lage, as  walking  across  country  in  Africa  is  not  a  very 
suitable  occupation  for  them.  After  the  gentlemen  had 
gone,  Mrs.  Reading  took  the  girls  to  see  the  operation  of 
making  eguma  [e-goo-mah],  which  is  the  bread  of  the 
sea-coast  tribes. 

It  is  made  from  the  roots  of  the  cassava,  of  which 
there  are  two  varieties,  the  sweet,  and  the  bitter ;  the  latter 

231 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

is  more  generally  used  as  it  will  grow  on  poorer  ground, 
and  yield  a  larger  and  surer  crop.  It  contains  a  poisonous 
juice  which  may  be  dispelled  by  heat,  or  by  soaking  it  in 
water  for  several  days  as  was  done  by  the  Kamerun 
women,  and  is  the  plan  adopted  in  making  eguma. 
Lying  so  long  in  water  causes  the  roots  to  ferment,  and 
they  do  not  smell  good  by  any  means,  as  the  girls  soon 
discovered ;  these  roots  when  taken  from  the  water  are 
peeled  and  grated  and  then  boiled,  which  thickens  the 
mass  much  as  boiling  thickens  starch ;  it  is  then  rolled  in 
leaves  and  is  ready  to  be  eaten.  In  this  condition  it  will 
save  for  a  few  days  only  and  then  a  fresh  supply  must  be 
made.  It  is  pretty  poor  stuff  and  neither  attractive  in 
taste  or  smell ;  one  of  its  advantages  in  the  mind  of  an 
African  is  that  it  is  indigestible  and  remains  a  long  time 
upon  the  stomach,  giving  a  sense  of  fullness ;  they  always 
complain  when  they  eat  rice  that  they  get  hungry  so  soon 
again.  On  the  contrary,  the  Kru-boys  prefer  rice,  and  it 
must  be  the  more  nourishing  food  of  the  two,  for  they  are 
a  better  developed  people  than  the  cassava  eating  tribes. 

Another  product  of  this  root  is  farina,  much  made 
by  the  Camma  and  other  tribes  south  of  Gaboon;  in 
making  farina  the  grated  root  is  dried  by  heat,  and  the 
product  is  hard,  dry  grains  that  will  keep  longer  than  the 
eguma;  but  it  requires  an  African  taste  to  appreciate 
either  of  these  foods,  and  strangers  would  soon  lose  their 
health  if  they  attempted  to  live  on  them. 

When  missionaries  first  came  to  Africa  they  thought 
they  ought  to  identify  themselves  the  more  closely  with 
the  country  by  eating  its  products  and  thus  in  a  measure 
make  Africans  of  themselves,  but  the  plan  did  not  succeed ; 
nor  will  the  idea  of  "self-supporting  missions"  at  the  pres- 
ent day  be  a  success  in  the  equatorial  regions.  Farther 

232 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

south,  where  the  climate  and  natural  products  are  more 
nearly  those  of  the  temperate  zone,  missionaries  may  live 
on  the  produce  of  the  soil,  but  everywhere  in  the  tropics 
foreigners  will  be  compelled  to  import  a  good  share  of 
their  food. 

In  one  of  the  houses  an  old  woman  was  seen  weaving 
a  mat,  such  as  are  used  everywhere  for  bedding.  The 
African  does  not  use  a  mattress,  or  a  tick  filled  with  straw, 
husks,  or  feathers,  for  a  bed,  as  we  do ;  but  he  uses  one  or 
more  thin  mats  according  to  how  rich  he  may  be,  and 
these  are  spread  on  the  bedstead,  or  on  the  ground,  as  may 
be  convenient. 

These  mats  are  made  from  the  leaves  of  the  Panda- 
nus,  or  screw-palm,  and  are  five  or  six  feet  long  by  three 
wide.  The  leaves  are  gathered  and  made  into  strips  half 
an  inch  wide  and  as  long  as  the  leaf  will  allow ;  these 
strips  after  being  dried  are  dyed  various  colors  and  are  then 
ready  to  be  woven  into  the  web.  A  frame  is  used,  and 
the  operation  is  one  that  resembles  both  weaving  and 
plaiting ;  the  result  is  a  closely  woven  mat  of  pretty  design 
and  that  will  almost  hold  water.  It  is  a  great  deal  of 
work  to  make  these  mats  and  they  are  highly  prized ;  for- 
eigners too  like  them,  using  them  as  rugs  on  the  floor. 

The  so-called  "grass-cloth"  used  for  mosquito-nets 
and  by  the  poorer  people  for  clothing,  is  made  in  the  far 
interior  from  the  cuticle  of  the  unopened  palm-leaf  of 
the  white  palm.  This  cuticle  is  stripped  off  as  we  would 
take  the  skin  from  the  rhubarb  stalks,  and  is  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  wide  and  three  or  four  feet  long;  in  drying  it 
turns  a  straw  color,  and  this  deepens  with  age  to  old  gold. 
These  narrow  strips  are  then  woven  in  a  regular  loom 
such  as  is  used  for  hand  weaving  in  our  own  land,  and 
the  cloth  thus  made  has  a  regular  texture  and  much 

233 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

resembles,  except  in  color,  the  linen  woven  by  our  grand- 
mothers. It  has  such  a  close  smooth  surface  that  flowers 
and  other  figures  may  be  painted  on  it  the  same  as  on 
canvas ;  if  a  little  attention  were  paid  to  the  matter,  these 
mats  might  be  made  a  desirable  article  of  export. 

The  girls  were  here  initiated  into  the  art  of  eating 
African  candy ;  this  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  sugar 
cane.  The  African  people  do  not  know  what  sugar  is, 
and  of  course  do  not  use  it,  although  when  brought  to 
their  attention  they  are  at  once  fond  of  it ;  but  they  raise 
sugar  cane,  and  the  juice  of  it  is  to  an'  African  maiden 
what  caramels  and  "  French  mixtures"  are  to  an  American 
one. 

To  eat  sugar  cane  aright  is  an  art ;  the  cane  is  cut  in 
convenient  lengths,  and  then  with  a  piece  of  cane  in  the 
left  hand,  .and  a  knife  in  her  right,  an  Mpongwe  girl,  with 
a  few  deft  strokes,  will  cut  away  the  rind  and  shape  the 
juicy  interior  into  convenient  mouthfuls,  cutting,  chew- 
ing, and  enjoying  herself  in  a  way  quite  pleasing  to  see. 
The  girls  found  the  cane  juice  sweet,  but  on  the  whole 
preferred  the  more  concentrated  extract  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  at  home. 

In  the  house  where  the  old  woman  was  weaving  the 
mat,  was  a  young  mother  and  her  baby,  a  queer  looking 
little  thing,  with  its  body  all  rubbed  over  with  red 
powder,  and  its  eyes  hardly  open  yet,  like  a  young  kitten. 
The  girls  were  just  delighted,  for  this  was  no  doll  baby, 
but  a  real  true  enough  baby,  and  an  African  baby  at 
that ;  they  crowded  about  it  and  surveyed  it  with  quite  as 
much  pleasurable  interest  as  if  they  had  discovered  a  gold 
mine.  The  next  thing,  of  course,  was  to  pick  it  up,  and 
it  was  passed  from  one  to  another  until  each  had  taken  a 
turn  in  holding  it ;  before  this  operation  was  ended  it 

234 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

cried,  as  all  good  babies  should,  and  the  girls  noted  with 
surprise  that  it  cried  just  the  same  as  white  babies. 

"  Only  to  think,"  exclaimed  Hattie,  "  that  a  black 
baby  should  cry  just  the  same  as  a  white  one!" 

"Yes,"  chimed  in  Mamie,  "I  thought  they  cried  in 
some  heathen  fashion  or  other,  I  didn't  know  how." 

"Say  girls,"  inquired  Lulu,  "why  is  it  that  these 
babies  cry  just  like  ours  do,  and  then  talk  such  an  out- 
landish gibberish  when  they  grow  up?" 

This  was  a  puzzle,  for  it  seemed  to  the  girls  that  if 
they  started  right,  as  they  evidently  did,  they  ought  to 
speak  the  "Queen's  English"  when  they  were  grown.  It 
could  not  be  in  the  color,  for  were  there  not  any  number  of 
black  babies  in  America,  and  did  they  not  speak  English  ? 
and  then  as  to  the  color,  this  one  was  not  black  at  all,  but 
very  much  the  same  color  as  all  young  babies,  only  a  little 
darker. 

The  girls  were  beyond  their  depth,  and  they  turned 
to  Mrs.  Reading ;  she  told  them  that  words  were  nothing 
in  themselves  but  mere  sounds,  and  that  the  meaning 
given  was  purely  arbitrary;  that  the  English  language 
that  came  so  natural  to  us  was  not  so  soft,  melodious  or 
regularly  constructed  a  language  as  the  Mpongwe,  and 
that  to  the  ears  of  others  it  sounded  harsh  and  discordant ; 
that  babies  grow  into  their  surroundings,  and  naturally 
express  themselves  in  the  same  way  as  those  about  them. 
"There  is  my  Lizzie,"  said  she,  "who  spoke  Mpongwe 
before  she  did  English,  and  to  this  day  she  thinks  in 
Mpongwe.  As  to  the  color  of  the  skin,  it  is  a  pigment 
deposited  there  the  same  as  it  is  in  our  hair,  and  this  does 
not  usually  take  place  until  after  the  child  is  born." 

"What  is  this  red  stuff  that  is  smeared  all  over  it?" 
inquired  Jessie. 

235 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

"It  is  powdered  redwood,"  replied  Mrs.  Reading; 
"  they  think  it  has  a  tonic  effect,  and  they  have  it  put  on 
the  baby  to  make  it  stronger ;  sometimes  they  rub  the 
babies  with  chalk,  and  sometimes  with  ashes  and  other 
things.  The  poor  little  babies  have  a  hard  time  of  it,  and 
a  great  many  of  them  die  when  very  young."  While 
they  were  talking,  the  baby  went  to  sleep,  and  as  they  did 
not  wish  to  disturb  it  they  went  quietly  out. 

In  the  street,  in  the  shade  of  one  of  the  verandas, 
were  two  girls  playing  a  game  with  a  sort  of  back-gam- 
mon board ;  this  board  had  two  rows  of  open,  cup  like 
holes  along  the  side,  and  a  hole  at  each  end ;  the  players 
moved  large  beans  from  hole  to  hole  by  a  rule  the  girls 
could  not  understand,  and  every  now  and  then  one  took  a 
trick  which  entitled  her  to  all  the  beans  in  a  certain  hole. 
Mrs.  Reading  told  the  girls  this  game  was  a  very  intricate 
one  and  difficult  for  a  white  person  to  understand,  and 
that  it  was  common  among  all  the  tribes  of  Central 
Africa. 

While  they  were  watching  the  game  Gertrude  brought 
Lizzie  some  white,  oily  nuts,  a  little  larger  than  peanuts, 
called  coolah ;  these  nuts  grow  in  a  husk  the  size  of  a 
walnut,  and  taste  like  chestnuts.  They  are  great  favorites 
with  the  people,  and  in  the  season  are  brought  to  town  in 
basketfuls. 

The  girls  this  morning  made  a  discovery,  which  was 
that  it  was  hotter  in  a  native  house  on  the  ground,  than 
in  a  board  house  elevated  five  or  six  feet  above  the  earth. 
In  the  Mission  House  at  Baraka  the  temperature  is  seldom 
above  94°  Fahr.,  but  here  in  these  bamboo  houses  opening 
upon  the  sandy  street,  it  was  over  one  hundred. 

In  the  comfortable  Mission  House,  so  long  as  one 
does  not  need  to  go  out  doors  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  it 

236 


PICNIC  EXCURSION  TO  SANDY  POINT 

is  very  pleasant ;  but  in  native  towns  the  middle  of  the 
day  is  very  hot.  But  be  the  day  ever  so  hot,  the  negro 
loves  the  fire ;  there  is  something  in  its  cheerful  warmth 
that  comforts  him,  and  be  the  temperature  of  the  air  what 
it  may,  he  will  sit  down  by  a  fire  and  enjoy  it. 

It  was  now  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  girls  thought  they 
had  enough  of  sight-seeing,  so  they  went  to  their  house 
and  remained  quietly  resting  until  the  sea-breeze  in  the 
afternoon  made  it  pleasant  to  go  out  again. 

The  gentlemen  returned  in  the  early  evening,  having 
had  an  adventurous  day,  and  the  next  morning  they  bade 
good-bye  to  King  William  and  his  people,  and,  promising 
to  come  again  if  it  were  possible,  they  sailed  across  the 
river  and  were  home  by  noon. 


237 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


BENITA. 


ON  the  return  from  King  William's  village  it 
was  decided  that  the  Band  should  take  a  trip 
in  the  Mission  cutter,  Nassau,  to  the  Benga 
portion  of  the  mission-field.     From  Gaboon 
southward  the  Mpongwe  language  is  spoken ;  from  Cor- 
isco  northward,  the  Benga,  and  these  two  languages  are 
in  many  respects  as  unlike  as  English  and  German.     The 
Nassau  was  given  to  the  mission  by  the  boys  and  girls  of 
America,  and  is  the  main  dependence  for  communication 
with  all  parts  of  the  Benga  portion  of  the  field  except 
Batanga,  which  is  more  easily  reached  by  the  regular  Ger- 
man mail  steamers  which  call  there  every  month.     Pas- 
sengers and  supplies  for  all  these  stations,  except  Batanga, 
are  landed  at  Gaboon,  and  taken  by  the  Nassau  to  their 
destinations. 

The  various  foreign  governments  that  have  now  seized 
on  nearly  every  mile  of  the  coast,  have  made  the  business 
part  of  the  mission  work  much  more  arduous  than  it 
formerly  was.  These  colonial  settlements  are  simply 
money-making  enterprises  of  the  various  governments 

238 


BENITA 

that  have  undertaken  them,  the  idea  being,  that  it  will 
form  an  outlet  for  the  manufactures  of  the  home  coun- 
tries ;  in  the  meantime,  to  make  the  undertaking  pay  its 
way,  duties  on  imports  and  exports  are  levied,  and  this 
requires  a  great  deal  of  red  tape  in  the  way  of  declara- 
tions, bills  of  lading,  manifests,  passenger  lists,  permits, 
etc.,  etc.,  as  well  as  makes  missionary  operations  more 
expensive.  The  matter  is  still  further  complicated  when 
a  mission-field  lies  in  the  territory  of  two  or  more  colo- 
nies, as  is  the  case  with  the  Gaboon  Mission ;  under  such 
circumstances  the  importation  and  distribution  of  supplies 
and  trade  goods,  is  a  difficult  and  troublesome  task. 

The  trip  north  having  been  decided  upon,  Mr.  Read- 
ing set  to  work  to  get  the  cargo  ready  for  the  little  ves- 
sel ;  this  consisted  of  boxes  of  soap  and  canned  goods, 
cases  of  kerosene,  barrels  of  flour,  bundles  of  fish,  with 
calico,  muslin,  axes,  charcoal  irons,  saws,  planes,  tobacco, 
books  and  many  other  things.  All  these  had  to  be 
securely  packed,  weighed,  measured,  labeled,  charged, 
billed,  passed  through  the  custom-house,  and  letters  of 
explanation  concerning  them  written,  after  which  they 
were  sent  on  board. 

Sunday  conies  like  a  benediction  after  the  distracting 
cares  of  the  week,  and  none  enjoy  it  more  than  the  mis- 
sion family  at  Baraka. 

On  Monday  morning,  November  21,  all  was  bustle 
and  excitement  among  the  members  of  the  Band  with 
preparations  for  the  trip  in  their  "  very  own  vessel,"  as 
they  chose  to  call  it ;  for  were  they  not  the  representa- 
tives of  the  givers?  To  take  a  ride  in  their  own  ship  along 
the  bright  green  coast  of  sunny  Africa,  was  a  matter  of 
surpassing  interest  indeed.  The  strong  limbed  Kru-boys 
were  kept  busy  carrying  to  the  beach  wraps,  portman- 

239 


BENITA 

teaus,  boxes  of  provisions,  plantains,  eguma,  dried 
cocoanuts,  mangoes,  bananas,  and  limes ;  wood  and  water, 
as  well  as  the  cargo,  had  already  gone  on  board  on  Satur- 
day. After  breakfast  they  all  took  up  their  line  of  inarch 
for  the  beach,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reading  and  Lizzie  going 
along  to  see  them  fairly  started ;  the  police  officer  came 
too,  to  bid  them  bon  voyage  and  see  if  all  was  straight. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning,  the  air  was  soft  and  deli- 
cious, and  the  Judge  noted  with  pleasure  that  it  came 
from  a  favorable  direction.  Out  in  the  river,  half  a  mile 
from  shore,  the  good  little  ship  was  at  anchor  with  her 
head  to  the  current,  patiently  waiting  for  her  young  own- 
ers to  come  on  board.  The  big  surf-boat  had  now 
returned  to  the  beach  and  the  sturdy  Kru-boys  carried 
the  passengers  one  by  one  through  the  breakers,  and  put 
them  in  it ;  then  they  pushed  it  off,  and  as  the  young 
folks  waved  their  handkerchiefs  and  hats  in  a  good-bye  to 
the  friends  ashore,  they  paddled  away  to  the  cutter.  It 
was  not  a  great  while  before  they  were  alongside  and 
scrambing  on  board  in  their  eagerness  to  see  what  the  ves- 
sel was  like. 

The  captain  and  crew  were  already  on  board,  so  there 
was  no  cause  for  delay ;  the  surf-boat  dropped  astern,  the 
captain  shouted  to  his  men,  the  sails  crawled  slowly  up 
the  masts,  the  anchor  chain  was  drawn  in  link  by  link, 
the  main  sheet  was  hauled  in,  the  helm  put  hard-a-port 
and  the  little  vessel  rounded  up  to  the  wind  and  bounded 
away  over  the  waves,  glad  to  be  once  more  free.  At  the 
guard-ship  she  "rounded  to"  while  the  boat  was  sent  with 
the  pass ;  when  the  boat  returned  it  was  made  fast  astern 
and  the  voyage  was  resumed. 

Now  that  they  were  fairly  under  way,  the  young 
folks  took  time  to  look  around  and  see  what  the  vessel 


240 


BENITA 

was  like.  There  was  not  much  room  on  deck,  and  no 
guards  to  keep  them  from  falling  off;  in  the  bow  there 
was  a  winch  to  draw  the  anchor  chain,  and  next  to  that  a 
little  stove  to  cook  food  on ;  the  roof  of  the  cabin  occu- 
pied the  middle  of  the  deck,  and  there  was  a  narrow  pas- 
sage on  either  side.  This  cabin  roof  was  about  two  feet 
high  and  made  a  very  fair  place  to  sit  on.  Near  the  stern 
was  the  wheel  with  a  sun-shade  built  over  it ;  ropes,  water 
barrels,  firewood,  plantains,  wraps,  and  many  other  things 
were  lying  about,  and  there  was  no  shade  over  the  deck 
except  the  small  one  over  the  wheel. 

The  young  folks  thought  it  was  all  "just  too  jolly  for 
anything,"  and  after  a  look  on  deck  they  went  down  stairs 
to  see  what  it  was  like  there.  They  found  a  really  nice 
cabin  with  four  bunks,  two  on  each  side,  and  a  small  table ; 
a  comfortable  enough  place  it  was,  but  small.  The  Band 
were  just  delighted  and  declared  it  was  no  make-believe 
ship,  but  a  real  sure-enough  vessel,  not  the  largest  and 
grandest  in  the  world,  but  good  enough ;  and,  well,  they 
just  loved  it. 

Having  come  to  this  happy  conclusion  they  went  on 
deck ;  the  sun  was  gaining  in  power  and  there  was  no 
shady  place ;  the  swell  was  coming  in  quite  strong  from 
the  broad  Atlantic,  and  the  motion  of  the  vessel  was 
shorter  and  quicker  than  that  of  a  large  steamer,  while 
the  wind  made  her  lean  over,  so  it  was  not  so  easy  to  keep 
on  one's  feet.  The  Band  had  accounted  themselves  pretty 
good  sailors,  but  it  was  now  only  too  evident  they  were 
growing  seasick ;  the  Judge  therefore  suggested  to  the 
girls  the  desirability  of  going  to  the  cabin  and  lying  down, 
while  he  and  the  boys  made  themselves  as  comfortable  on 
deck  as  circumstances  permitted. 


241 


BENITA 

The  day  wore  on,  and  as  the  sea-breeze  increased  in 
strength  with  the  declining  sun,  the  Band  brightened 
some  and  began  to  forget  their  seasickness  with  the  accel- 
erated motion  of  the  vessel;  they  were  running,  too, 
before  the  wind,  and  that  made  the  cutter  steadier.  On 
the  starboard  bow  was  the  small  island  called  Banyan,  a 
famous  place  for  sea-shells,  while  Corisco  loomed  up  in 
front  not  more  than  three  miles  away. 

A  chicken  had  been  killed,  and  some  soup  made  on  the 
cooking  stove ;  it  had  a  couple  of  peppers  in  it,  and  although 
it  tasted  pretty  strongly  of  the  smoke,  it  helped  to  allay 
the  nausea,  and  the  young  travelers  pronounced  it  good. 
The  soup  loosened  their  tongues,  and  conversation,  which 
had  been  interrupted  during  the  day,  was  now  resumed, 
and  they  were  commenting  at  a  lively  rate  upon  their 
experiences,  when  two  great  whales  spouted  up  near  them. 
These  great  creatures  did  not  seem  in  the  least  afraid  of 
the  cutter,  perhaps  mistaking  it  for  one  of  their  own  kind, 
and  swam  up  quite  near,  creating  no  little  consternation 
.on  board.  There  was  evident  cause  for  alarm,  for  each  of 
these  huge  animals  was  much  longer  than  the  Nassau,  and 
they  could  no  doubt  have  capsized  the  cutter  if  they  had 
wished  to ;  but  they  were  peaceably  inclined,  and  after 
playing  about  for  a  few  minutes  they  dived  down  and 
were  seen  no  more,  to  the  intense  relief  of  every  one  on 
board.  The  Captain,  Mr.  Menkel,  told  the  Judge  he  quite 
frequently  met  whales,  but  that  they  seldom  came  so  near ; 
and  that  while  he  had  never  been  harmed  by  them,  he  did 
not  like  them  to  come  up  too  close. 

At  five  P.  M.  the  cutter  anchored  off  the  Mission 
Station  of  Alongo,  which  is  on  the  northwestern  corner  of 
the  island  of  Corisco,  and  the  Captain  went  ashore  to  take 
the  mail  and  a  few  small  packages.  This  station  is  in 

242 


BENITA 

charge  of  a  native  brother,  and  is  not  as  prosperous  as  in 
former  days ;  the  people  have  been  greatly  debased  by  the 
rum  traffic,  and  have  steadily  decreased  in  numbers  until 
the  population  is  now  but  a  few  hundreds. 

Corisco  is  a  bright  little  island  four  miles  long  and 
three  miles  wide,  and  presented  a  picturesque  appearance 
as  seen  from  the  deck  of  the  cutter.  At  the  northern  end 
the  shores  were  rocky  and  steep,  presenting  a  firm  front  to 
the  waves  which  raged  and  dashed  themselves  to  foam 
against  it ;  while  toward  the  southern  end  the  shores  were 
flat  and  sandy,  forming  beautiful  white  shell-strewn 
beaches,  backed  by  lovely  palms,  among  which  the  brown 
roofs  of  the  little  native  villages  could  be  seen  clustered 
amid  the  broad  leaves  of  the  plantains.  A  great  many 
beautiful  shells  are  found  on  these  beaches,  and  the  girls 
thought  they  would  love  to  look  for  them,  and  the  boys, 
too,  wanted  to  go  ashore,  for  they  had  heard  at  Gaboon 
that  turtles  came  ashore  in  the  night,  and  they  were  anx- 
ious to  "turn"  them,  as  they  had  read  about  in  books  of 
travel ;  but  there  was  no  opportunity,  for  the  vessel  was 
going  right  on  to  Benita,  and  so  they  could  only  hope  there 
might  be  a  chance  to  do  so  on  their  way  back.  In  a  little 
over  an  hour  Mr.  Menkel  was  back  and  they  resumed  their 
voyage ;  they  were  fortunate  in  having  no  rain,  and  the 
night  was  much  more  agreeable  than  the  day  had  been. 

Soon  after  sunrise  on  Tuesday  morning  they  crossed 
the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Benita  river,  and  sailed  slowly 
up  to  the  station  at  Bolondo,  two  miles  from  the  sea.  The 
houses  are  situated  in  a  grove  of  lovely  palms,  and  as  the 
little  company  looked  eagerly  ashore  they  thought  they 
had  never  seen  anything  more  inviting.  Word  was  at 
once  sent  to  Mr.  DeHeer  that  the  mission-band  had  come, 
and  the  whole  family  were  soon  at  the  landing  to  welcome 

243 


BENITA 

their  guests.  Mr.  DeHeer's  boat  was  soon  in  the  water, 
and  this,  with  the  Nassau's  boat,  was  not  long  in  transfer- 
ring the  passengers  to  the  beach. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeHeer  and  Mrs.  Reutlinger  welcomed 
their  guests  most  heartily,  and,  leaving  the  luggage  to  be 
brought  up  later,  they  led  them  to  the  house,  where  a 
smoking  hot  breakfast  was  presently  ready  for  them.  The 
Band  thought  they  had  never  eaten  so  good  a  meal,  and  no 
wonder,  for  Mrs.  DeHeer  is  a  famous  cook,  and  they  had 
scarcely  eaten  anything  since  they  left  Gaboon.  After 
breakfast  there  was  a  good  long  talk,  for  white  visitors  are 
seldom  seen  at  Bolondo,  and  then  the  Judge  and  his  young 
companions  retired  to  rest  awhile,  for  they  were  pretty 
well  used  up. 

Along  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  DeHeer  took  his  guests 
around  to  show  them  the  premises ;  they  found  Bolondo 
was  a  clearing  in  the  great  forest  growth  that  everywhere 
covered  the  country ;  trees  and  bushes  were  to  be  seen  on 
every  side,  for,  except  in  front  of  the  house,  there  was  a 
fringe  of  tall  bushes  left  growing  along  the  river  bank. 
The  house  was  built  of  boards  and  raised  on  posts  like  the 
houses  at  Gaboon,  but  it  was  two-storied,  and  so  when  you 
were  inside  it  was  more  like  a  house  at  home.  As  the 
buildings  were  so  shut  in,  there  was  no  extensive  view, 
and  the  profound  stillness  all  about  made  it  seem  like 
Sunday.  The  good  brother's  whole  heart  and  soul  were 
wrapped  up  in  his  church  ;  all  his  energies  were  bent  upon 
the  spiritual  improvement  of  his  people,  and  he  has  been 
successful  in  a  remarkable  degree.  This  anxiety  for  their 
welfare  is  highly  appreciated  by  them,  and  they  love  their 
"Pa  DeHeer"  with  a  devotion  that  is  indeed  rarely  seen. 
They  worshipped  in  a  bamboo  structure  a  short  distance 
from  the  house. 


244 


BENITA 

The  Band  soon  discovered  that  Mr.  DeHeer  was  one 
of  the  jolliest  missionaries  they  had  met,  in  fact,  brim-full 
of  fun,  and  he  kept  them  laughing  much  of  the  time. 
Among  his  pets  was  a  long-tailed  monkey  chained  to  a 
pole,  a  happy  fellow,  full  of  tricks.  Mr.  DeHeer  had 
taught  him  to  reach  up  and  pull  his  handkerchief  from 
his  pocket  and  then  look  in  the  pocket  for  a  lump  of 
sugar;  after  the  monkey  had  done  this  for  Mr.  DeHeer, 
Willie  thought  he  would  try,  but  there  was  no  sugar  in 
Willie's  pocket,  and  when  the  monkey  found  that  out  he 
pulled  at  the  coat  hard  enough  to  tear  it,  and  then  ran  up 
the  pole  with  his  handkerchief.  The  Band  had  now  found 
a  playmate,  and  while  they  were  having  some  fun  with 
the  monkey,  Mr.  DeHeer  and  the  Judge  sat  down  on  the 
church  steps  and  talked  about  the  mission  work. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  DeHeer  arranged  a  trip  to 
Mbade  [Em-bah-dah]  a  former  mission  station  on  the  point 
of  land  at  the  entrance  to  the  river  a  couple  of  miles 
from  Bolondo.  There  is  a  path  cut  through  the  forest 
leading  to  Mbade,  but  it  is  a  tiresome  walk,  and  Mr.  De- 
Heer took  his  guests  by  water  in  his  two  boats,  and  a  jolly 
party  they  were.  The  beach  is  a  rocky  one,  and  not  sandy 
as  at  Gaboon ;  and  the  reefs  running  out  from  the  little 
points  of  land  make  it  necessary  for  boats  to  keep  well 
out.  Mbade  looks  very  pretty  from  the  water,  but  the 
beauty  diminishes  on  a  closer  inspection,  for  the  ground 
on  which  it  is  built  is  sand,  and  the  feet  sink  ankle  deep 
in  the  yielding  sand  at  every  step. 

When  this  station  was  built  it  was  thought  that  as  it 
was  on  a  narrow  point  jutting  into  the  sea,  with  a  sandy 
soil,  little  vegetation,  and  freely  exposed  to  the  winds,  it 
would  prove  to  be  healthy,  but  such  has  not  been  the  case. 


245 


BENITA 

Malaria  is  a  strange  power ;  its  origin  and  the  laws  that 
govern  it  are  practically  unknown. 

The  visiting  party  landed  near  a  large  mango  tree 
that  grew  luxuriantly  by  the  water-side,  and  climbed  the 
bank  to  the  level  ground  where  the  station  was  built 
There  was  no  missionary  living  here,  and  the  place  was 
in  charge  of  a  Bible-reader  who  kept  the  premises  in  order 
and  tauglit  a  small  school.  When  this  station  was  begun 
there  was  a  considerable  population  in  the  neighborhood, 
but  now  there  are  less  than  one  hundred  souls  within  a 
radius  of  a  mile  from  the  house. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  all  the  seashore  tribes  are 
dying  out,  and  unless  other  tribes  move  down  from  the 
interior  to  take  their  places,  the  country  will  be  left  with- 
out inhabitants.  Although  the  Benita  is  quite  a  long 
river  it  is  a  poor  one  for  trade ;  nothing  is  exported  but  a 
little  rubber  and  barwood,  and  the  principal  stock  in  trade 
is  rum.  The  factories  are  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
and  as  trade  is  so  poor  they  have  a  pretty  dull  time  of  it. 

The  Benita  is  navigable  for  twenty  miles  to  Senge, 
where  there  are  rapids,  and  throughout  the  remainder  of  its 
course  it  consists  of  short,  still  reaches,  separated  by  rapids 
and  cascades ;  the  country  is  one  unbroken  forest  and  is 
likely  to  remain  a  wilderness  for  a  very  long  time  to 
come. 

Mr.  DeHeer  and  his  guests  wandered  around  Mbade 
awhile  and  then  returned  to  Bolondo,  where  the  girls  were 
initiated  into  the  art  of  making  palm-butter,  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  which  Mrs.  DeHeer  has  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion. The  bright  scarlet  nuts  are  boiled  to  soften  them 
somewhat,  pounded  in  a  mortar  to  mash  up  the  woody 
pulp,  strained  through  a  cloth,  and  the  yellow  liquid  boiled 
to  evaporate  the  excess  of  water,  and  then  thickened  with 

246 


BENITA 

flour  and  seasoned  with  Chilli  peppers.  The  palm-butter 
thus  made  is  of  a  rich  brown  color,  and  has  the  consistency 
of  apple-butter ;  it  is  used  as  a  sauce  or  gravy  on  rice, 
bread-fruit,  or  any  farinaceous  food.  It  differs  from  the 
usual  palm-chop  in  that  it  contains  no  oil  or  meat,  and  in 
being  thickened  with  flour. 

The  remainder  of  the  week  was  spent  most  pleas- 
antly at  this  hospitable  mission  house,  and  in  fact  a 
more  delightful  family  circle  can  not  be  found  anywhere 
than  the  one  that  dwells  amid  the  Bolondo  palms. 

The  mission  work  is  here  carried  on  very  differently 
from  what  it  is  at  Gaboon ;  there  is  no  government  inter- 
ference and  no  foreign  influence  to  contend  with,  conse- 
quently the  work  is  easier  and  more  fruitful  in  good 
results.  The  school-house  is  built  of  bamboo,  with  a 
board  floor;  the  Band  peeped  into  it  one  morning  and 
saw  the  dark-skinned  little  heathens  sitting  on  benches  and 
supposed  to  be  studying  their  lessons,  but  mostly  they 
were  looking  over  the  tops  of  their  books  and  soon  caught 
sight  of  the  pale-faced  strangers.  One  class  was  standing 
up  in  a  row  with  their  hands  behind  them  and  their  toes 
to  a  crack  in  the  floor,  reciting  in  their  wild,  strange  lan- 
guage, not  one  word  of  which  our  young  friends  could 
make  out. 

One  feature  of  the  Bolondo  mission  life  was  the  com- 
ing of  the  town's  women  every  morning  to  sell  the  pro- 
duce of  their  gardens.  This  was  the  only  market  the 
women  had  for  their  products,  and  the  mission  family 
could  consequently  control  the  time  of  their  coming ;  at 
Gaboon  they  come  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  and  it  cannot 
be  avoided.  The  women  came  early,  and  then  attended 
morning  prayers,  after  which  the  trading  began;  this 


247 


BEN  IT  A 

interesting  department  of  mission  labor  was  conducted 
solely  by  the  ladies. 

At  Bolondo  the  supply  exceeds  the  demands  of  the 
market,  and  so  only  a  stipulated  quantity  is  taken  from 
any  one  woman,  in  order  that  all  may  have  an  opportunity 
to  procure  at  least  a  few  of  the  goods  the  white  ladies 
have  to  sdl.  One  woman  was  bringing  ten  eguma  every 
day  until  she  should  accumulate  sufficient  credit  to  purchase 
calico  for  a  dress;  another  wanted  a  lamp,  and  was  bring- 
ing plantains ;  another  wished  to  exchange  sweet  potatoes 
for  a  plate ;  another,  eggs  for  a  head  of  tobacco,  and  so  on. 
These  native  women  could  keep  accounts  fairly  well  in 
their  heads,  but  to  prevent  mistakes  where  produce  was 
not  paid  for  at  once,  payment  was  made  in  tickets  or  cards 
somewhat  like  the  tickets  formerly  given  in  Sabbath- 
schools  as  rewards  of  merit.  These  cards  were  both  of 
different  sizes  and  colors,  so  that  those  who  could  not  read 
might  easily  distinguish  them ;  they  were  payable  to 
bearer  so  that  they  were  current  as  money,  and  were  the 
only  money  in  circulation  at  Benita ;  at  Gaboon  there  is 
French  silver  coin.  All  employees  are  paid  at  all  the 
stations  in  this  "paper  cash,"  which  may  be  exchanged 
for  goods  at  stated  times ;  this  system  is  well  liked  by  both 
the  missionaries  and  the  people. 

There  are  excellent  fish  in  the  Benita  river,  but  they 
are  not  so  abundant  as  at  Gaboon.  The  ocean  current 
that  flows  northward  along  the  coast  comes  from  the 
South  Atlantic,  and  as  it  proceeds  gets  increasingly 
wanner,  and  it  would  appear  that  the  cooler  the  water 
the  more  numerous  are  the  fish,  for  as  we  go  northward 
their  numbers  constantly  decrease.  One  evening  the  boys 
were  on  the  beach  near  the  little  cape  just  below  the  boat 
landing,  and  an  old  man  who  was  fishing  with  a  long  line 

248 


No,  10  0  CREDIT  CARD. 
Due  the  bearer  in  GOODS  on  demand, 

03ST  E 


IF  PRESENTED  TO  THf  TREASURER  OP  THC 

J3ARATCA     MISSION      STATIOT* 

DURING  rHE  USUAL  BUSINESS  HOURS. 


Special  attention  Stalled  to  the  f*ct  that  this  card  will  be  redeenrfd 
only  in  goods,  at  the  usual  prices,  and  not  in  cash. 


No,    999        CREDIT  CARD. 
Dxie  tlie  "bearer  in  GOODS  on  demand, 

FIYE  FRANCS 

IF  PRESENTED  TO  THE  TKEASURER  OF  THE 


OURtNG  THE  USUAL  BUSINESS  HOURS. 


Special  attention  is  xalled  to  the  fact  that  this  card  \v       b« 
only  in  roods,  at  the  usual  prices,  and  not  in  c85h. 


BENITA 

drew  ashore  a  fine  fish  about  two  feet  long  and  of  a  bright, 
pink  color ;  as  it  came  from  the  water,  with  its  fins  all 
bristling,  it  was  a  beautiful  creature.  The  native  fisher- 
men have  a  custom  that  might  well  be  adopted  in  more 
civilized  lands;  after  catching  a  fish  they  do  not  allow  it 
to  die  a  lingering  and  torturing  death,  but  kill  it  at  once 
by  a  smart  blow  on  the  head. 

A  favorite  dish  in  the  Bolondo  household  is  what  is 
called  an  Ajomba  [Ah-jom-bah]  of  fish.  To  prepare  this 
dish  the  fish  are  cut  into  lengths  of  five  or  six  inches  and 
laid  upon  plantain  leaves ;  these  leaves  are  nearly  two  feet 
wide,  and  are  cut  into  two  feet  lengths  and  laid  together 
in  several  thicknesses.  After  the  fish  has  been  laid  upon 
this  pile  of  leaves,  salt  and  red  peppers  are  added  and  also 
odika,  pan,  palm-oil  or  some  other  native  sauce;  the 
edges  of  the  leaves  are  then  gathered  up  and  tied  and  the 
*' bundle"  put  in  the  hot  ashes,  and  the  cinders  raked  up 
near  it,  but  not  near  enough  to  burn  it.  Both  fish  and 
meat  cooked  in  this  way  are  excellent ;  the  leaves  do  not 
impart  any  unpleasant  taste,  and  as  every  particle  of  steam 
is  kept  in  the  bundle  the  flavor  is  retained  and  the  tough- 
est meat  becomes  tender.  The  Band  ate  the  ajombas 
with  a  relish,  but  they  did  not  care  much  for  the  sauces 
that  were  cooked  with  them. 

Here  at  this  station,  as  at  Gaboon,  Sunday  is  the 
great  day  of  the  week ;  on  Saturday  the  yard  is  cleaned, 
the  church  swept,  and  every  preparation  made  for  suita- 
bly celebrating  the  day  of  rest.  The  Sabbath  the  Band 
spent  at  Bolondo  was  one  of  unusual  interest,  for  it  was 
•communion  Sabbath  and  a  goodly  number  were  to  come 
out  on  the  Lord's  side  and  unite  with  His  people.  All 
through  the  week  there  had  been  session  meetings,  so  that 
the  good  Brother  DeHeer  had  not  been  able  to  spend  as 

249 


BENITA 

much  time  with  his  guests  as  he  would  have  liked.  A  great 
many  candidates  were  examined  and  many  pathetic  scenes 
witnessed ;  one  old  woman  had  been  a  sorceress,  but  she 
brought  the  implements  of  her  witchery  and  threw 
them  on  the  floor  of  the  session  room,  saying,  "Now  I 
belong  to  Christ,  and  have  no  use  for  these  things. " 
These  people  were  all  in  great  earnest,  and  they  were  able 
too  to  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  them,  for  one 
of  the  qualifications  for  membership  was  a  pretty  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  catechism. 

Sabbath  morning  was  calm  and  bright,  as  lovely  a 
summer's  day  as  ever  dawned  upon  this  earth  ;  those  from 
a  distance  who  were  to  attend  the  services,  had  arrived  on 
Saturday,  for  no  traveling  is  permitted  on  the  Sabbath. 
At  the  ringing  of  the  first  bell  they  began  to  assemble 
with  serious  faces,  and  every  one  dressed  in  his  best 

The  Judge  and  the  Band  were  given  seats  on  one 
side  of  the  pulpit,  and  the  other  side  was  occupied  by  the 
children  with  Mrs.  Reutlinger  at  the  organ ;  the  body  of 
the  house  was  filled  with  a  sea  of  black  faces,  once  wild 
sons  of  the  forest,  how  humble  worshippers  of  Jehovah. 
The  candidates  for  baptism  occupied  the  front  seats,  then 
came  the  church  members,  and  what  space  was  left  was 
occupied  by  the  heathen,  many  of  whom  could  not  gain 
admittance  for  lack  of  room.  As  soon  as  the  second  bell 
ceased  ringing  the  doors  were  closed ;  they  were  opened 
again  during  the  singing,  after  which  they  were  closed 
and  locked,  so  that  there  might  be  no  distraction  caused 
by  late  comers.  The  services  were  very  impressive,, 
although  as  they  were  wholly  in  the  native  tongue  our 
friends  could  not  understand  a  word.  At  the  close  of  the 
sermon,  thirty-two,  old  and  young,  arose  from  their  seatsv 


250 


BENITA 

forming  a  semi-circle  from  wall  to  wall,  and  took  the 
vows  of  God  upon  them. 

The  members  of  the  Band  were  tired  when  they 
reached  the  house,  for  the  services  had  lasted  more  than 
two  hours.  Throughout  the  day  there  were  various 
prayer-meetings,  as  well  as  Sunday-school,  and  a  preach- 
ing service  in  the  evening ;  in  fact  the  people  just  gave 
themselves  up  to  meetings,  and  they  made  a  full  day  of  it. 

On  Monday  morning  the  Judge  and  his  companions 
took  leave  of  the  kind  friends  at  Bolondo  and  embarked 
upon  the  cutter ;  their  stay  had  been  both  instructive  and 
very  agreeable,  and  they  saw  the  Bolondo  palms  fade  into 
the  distance  behind  them,  with  genuine  regret. 

After  crossing  the  bar  and  making  a  good  offing,  they 
headed  north,  running  parallel  with  the  coast.  The 
mountains  of  the  Sierra  del  Crystal  range  were  in  sight 
far  away  to  the  eastward,  and  formed  a  beautiful  back- 
ground to  the  dark  green  forest  that  rested  in  an 
unbroken  expanse  upon  the  land ;  after  a  while  the  mists 
gathered  about  the  mountains  and  hid  them  from  sight. 
The  wind  was  light  and  the  sun  scorching  hot,  but  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  to  bear  it,  and  so  they  endured  it 
with  such  grace  as  they  could. 

Towrard  sundown  they  anchored  half  a  mile  from  the 
shore  off  the  Bata  [Bah-tah]  river.  It  was  a  wild  place ; 
ashore  was  only  the  tangled  forest,  cleft  in  twain  by  the 
narrow  river  that  forced  an  uncertain  passage  through  the 
rocks,  against  which  the  surf  beat,  throwing  up  clouds  of 
spray.  The  thought  of  going  in  a  small  boat  through 
that  surf  into  the  river  was  not  an  inviting  one,  but  there 
was  no  other  way  to  get  ashore,  and  so  the  Captain  took 
the  Judge  and  the  girls,  and  then  came  back  for  the  boys* 


251 


BENITA 

The  cutter  danced  about  so  it  was  with  extreme  dif- 
ficulty the  girls  were  lowered  into  the  boat,  but  after  a 
few  slight  mishaps  they  were  transferred  to  the  boat  and 
then  the  men  pulled  slowly  toward  the  bar.  The  water 
boiled  and  foamed  about  them  and  some  of  the  waves  wet 
them,  but  they  got  over  safely  and  all  at  once  found  them- 
selves in  a  quiet  river.  Presently  on  rounding  a  point 
they  saw  a  town  and  a  long  church  among  the  trees,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  were  on  the  beach  and  cordially  wel- 
comed by  Rev.  Mr.  Etianye  [A-tee-an-ye],  Mr.  DeHeer's 
able  and  trusted  lieutenant. 


252 


REV.    B.    B.    BRIER 


CHAPTKR  XVII. 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA. 


EDNESDAY  morning  was  damp  and 
misty ;  a  heavy  rain  had  fallen  during 
the  night,  everything  outdoors  was 
soaked  and  wet,  and  a  fog  hung  over 
the  river,  but  the  sun  soon  dispelled  the 
mists  and  dried  the  grass,  and  it  proved  to  be  a  glorious 
day.  After  coffee  the  Band  sallied  forth  to  take  a  look  at 
the  town ;  they  found  it  small  and  by  no  means  well  situ- 
ated, for  both  banks  of  the  little  river  were  overgrown 
by  mangroves  and  at  low  tides  banks  of  noisome  black 
mud  were  exposed  to  the  sun. 

It  was  evidently  no  fit  place  for  a  white  man  to  live 
in,  but  Mr.  Etianye  appeared  to  enjoy  it,  and  the  river  gave 
him  an  easy  path  to  the  hill  country  in  the  interior.  This 
earnest  brother  had  built  a  church  in  the  midst  of  a  grove 
of  oil-palms,  and  he  appeared  to  be  thoroughly  devoted 
to  its  interests  and  well  loved  by  his  congregation. 

The  people  of  the  town  did  not  seem  to  be  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition ;  they  looked  thin,  hungry,  and  poorly 
kept,  and  the  Judge  ascertained,  upon  inquiry,  that  their 

253 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

gardens  were  not  very  productive,  and  they  seldom  were 
able  to,  obtain  meat  or  fish. 

From  Benita  northward,  for  some  reason  not  well 
understood,  the  entire  coast-line  is  a  land  of  hunger,  and 
the  one  great  thought  of  the  people  is  to  get  something 
to  eat  It  is  true  elephants  are  numerous  and  trouble- 
some, but  it  would  seem  as  if  this  evil  might  be  turned 
to  good  account  by  killing  the  elephants,  eating  the  flesh 
and  selling  the  ivory ;  but  to  kill  an  elephant  is  a  big 
undertaking,  and  is  seldom  done  except  by  the  cannibal 
tribes  in  the  interior,  and  watching  all  night  in  the  heavy 
rain  is  dreary  business;  so  the  people  do  little  planting 
and  are  always  looking  about  for  something  to  put  in 
their  stomachs,  nothing  coming  amiss  if  it  can  only  be 
gotten ;  dogs,  rats,  snakes,  monkeys,  ants — all  is  game  to 
their  nets,  and  no  doubt  tastes  as  good  to  them  as  oysters 
and  terrapin  to  us. 

The  Judge  expressed  a  wish  to  take  a  ride  up  the 
river,  so  Mr.  Etianye  hired  two  canoes  and  crews,  and  at 
ten  o'clock  they  started ;  this  was  the  first  time  the  Band 
had  taken  a  journey  in  canoes,  and  they  found  them  rather 
crazy  affairs. 

A  fleet  of  canoes  upon  a  tropic  river,  skimming  along 
with  ease  and  grace  under  the  vigorous  strokes  of  their 
dusky  crews,  is  a  pleasing  and  picturesque  sight;  but 
when  the  clumsy  white  man  gets  in,  he  finds  to  his  dismay 
that  they  will  capsize  with  the  greatest  ease,  and  require 
as  much  skill  in  balancing  as  a  bicycle.  Mr.  Etianye 
seated  his  guests  upon  low  stools,  and  after  going  a  mile  or 
two  they  began  to  breathe  more  easily,  but  the  cramped 
position  was  far  from  comfortable. 

The  river  was  fifty  yards  wide  and  bordered  by  man- 
groves ;  a  mile  or  so  above  the  town,  on  the  left  bank  of 

254 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

the  river,  was  a  prairie  which  is  said  to  extend  all  the  way 
to  Benita,  running  parallel  with  the  beach.  This  level 
prairie,  with  the  tall  woods  on  either  side  of  it  and  single 
trees  growing  upon  it  here  and  there,  was  beautiful,  and 
was  evidently  appreciated  by  the  animal  creation,  for  par- 
rots and  other  bright-feathered  birds  were  flying  about, 
and  on  the  more  secluded  portions  wild  buffalo  and  deer 
delight  to  graze.  Elephants  also  frequent  the  edge  of  the 
prairie,  but  not  to  eat  the  grass,  for  the  elephant  is  not  a 
grass-eating  animal,  but  prefers  the  leaves  and  fruits  of 
trees,  so  it  must  be  that  he  haunts  the  edge  of  the  woods 
merely  to  enjoy  the  beauties  of  the  scene.  This  at  least 
was  Mr.  Etianye's  opinion,  and  he  was  reckoned  among 
his  people  to  be  a  great  elephant  hunter  because  he  had 
killed  two  or  three  of  these  huge  beasts. 

As  they  proceeded  it  was  easy  to  see  that  the  river 
ran  in  a  trough  or  deep  valley  with  hills  covered  with 
heavy  forest  on  either  side.  By  and  by  the  water  became 
sweet  and  the  mangroves  were  succeeded  by  the  pandanus, 
papyrus,  and  palms  on  the  flooded  lands,  and  large  forest 
trees  where  the  ground  was  higher. 

At  one  o'clock  they  came  to  a  village  and  halted  for 
rest  and  lunch ;  the  village  was  a  little  way  back  from  the 
river  on  rising  ground,  and  as  the  trees  had  been  cut  away 
to  allow  the  plantains  to  grow  it  was  hot  there,  so  a  tem- 
porary camp  was  made  beneath  some  tall  trees  near  the 
landing  where  it  was  shady. 

The  villagers  were  somewhat  annoyed  by  the  pres- 
ence of  so  large  a  party  of  white  folks  and  kept  at  a 
respectful  distance,  but  they  sold  Mr.  Etianye  some  plan- 
tains for  tobacco  and  soap,  and  by  and  by  a  few  of  the 
men,  armed  with  guns  and  spears,  ventured  to  come  and 
make  a  closer  inspection.  The  men  boiled  the  plantains 

255 


BAT  A— EVUNI— BATAXGA 

which  were  green  and  hard,  while  a  few  riper  ones  were 
roasted  in  the  ashes  like  potatoes,  and  these,  with  some 
canned  corn-beef,  made  a  frugal  dinner  for  the  Judge  and 
his  young  friends. 

This  was  the  first  time  the  girls  had  actually  camped 
out  in  the  wild  woods  and  they  enjoyed  it  very  much; 
especially  were  they  pleased  with  some  small  monkeys 
they  saw  in  the  trees  called  Kalinga  [Kah-leen-gah],  by  the 
Mpongwes.  These  monkeys  were  no  larger  than  kittens 
and  had  tails  twice  the  length  of  their  bodies ;  they  were 
playful  little  fellows  and  appeared  to  lead  a  jolly  life  in 
their  leafy  home.  Mamie  wondered  what  they  did  in  the 
night  when  it  rained  so  hard,  and  the  general  opinion  was 
that  as  they  had  no  houses  to  shelter  them  they  must  get 
very  wet  and  miserable. 

After  a  good  rest  they  again  took  their  seats  in  the 
canoes  and  with  the  aid  of  the  ebb  tide  sped  swiftly  home- 
wards. They  had  not  gone  a  mile  when  on  rounding  a 
turn  they  saw  in  the  quiet  river  ahead  of  them  a  column 
of  water  like  the  "spout "  of  a  whale,  and  a  moment  after 
a  great  ugly  head  was  shoved  up  into  view.  The  Band 
viewed  the  apparition  with  consternation  and  the  crew 
shouted  out  "En-goo-voo,"  and  began  to  back  vigorously 
with  their  paddles.  Now  en-goo-voo  means  hippopot- 
amus, and  this  great  river  horse  was  splashing  around 
there  in  the  water  as  if  he  thought  the  river  was  his  home 
and  he  could  do  as  he  pleased  in  it.  Neither  crew  nor 
passengers  were  disposed  to  dispute  with  him,  and  so  the 
canoes  quietly  waited  until  he  chose  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  which  he  did  in  a  few  minutes. 

The  hippopotamus  furnished  a  subject  for  conversa- 
tion all  the  way  home,  and  the  Band  were  agreed  there 
was  nothing  awkward  or  clumsy  in  his  movements  when 

256 


MRS.    B.    B.    BRIER 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

.splashing  freely  about  in  his  native  river.  Mr.  Etianye 
informed  them  the  flesh  was  excellent  eating  and  the  boys 
wished  they  might  have  some  for  supper. 

This  was  the  night  for  the  regular  Wednesday  even- 
ing prayer-meeting ;  it  was  held  in  the  church,  and  as  the 
news  had  spread  of  the  arrival  of  the  strangers,  there  was 
a  large  audience  in  attendance.  The  church  was  of 
bamboo,  and  copied  after  Mr.  DeHeer's  at  Bolondo,  but  it 
was  more  narrow.  Kerosene  lamps  along  the  wall  shed  a 
rather  dull  light  upon  the  congregation  in  various  stages 
of  dress  and  undress,  but  all  with  earnest,  eager  faces, 
although  not  all  were  Christians.  Hymns  were  sung  in 
the  native  tongue,  and  after  reading  and  prayer  by  the 
pastor,  the  Judge  addressed  them,  using  an  interpreter. 
Speaking  through  an  interpreter  is  not  easy ;  the  sentences 
must  be  short,  and  while  they  are  being  repeated  the 
speaker's  mind  is  apt  to  wander,  making  it  difficult  to 
keep  up  the  connection ;  however,  the  Judge  did  very 
well,  and  the  people  were  greatly  pleased. 

Thursday  morning  the  visitors  found  they  were  quite 
sore  and  stiff  from  the  cramped  position  in  the  canoes, 
and  so  they  determined  to  remain  a  day  and  rest.  It  was 
a  good  resolution,  for  on  Friday  they  were  bright  and 
fresh,  and  were  on  board  the  cutter  in  good  season  in  the 
morning,  having  enjoyed  their  visit  at  Mr.  Etianye's  town. 
As  they  rounded  the  first  point  along  the  coast  on  their 
way  north  they  saw  the  trading  post  of  Bata,  a  mile  or 
more  from  the  river ;  here  there  are  three  factories,  a 
French  police-station,  and  a  French  Catholic  mission 
station. 

At  four  P.  M.  the  cutter  anchored  off  Evuni  [A-voo- 
nee],  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Bata.  There  was  a 
surf  about  five  feet  high  caused  hy  the  brisk  sea-breeze, 

xvii  257 


BATA— EVUNI— BATAXGA 

and  in  going  through  this  they  all  got  wet — a  far  from 
comfortable  experience,  but  our  young  tourists  were  now 
getting  somewhat  accustomed  to  the  discomforts  of  travel, 
and  had  learned  to  notice  them  as  little  as  possible.  They 
found  a  large  community  with  a  rambling  town  or  collec- 
tion of  villages,  and  no  white  man,  either  missionary  or 
trader,  so  that  they  must  look  wholly  to  the  native  people 
for  entertainment. 

The  cutter  had  been  recognized  before  she  anchored, 
and  Mbeyi  [Em-ba-ye],  the  Bible-reader  in  charge  of  the 
church,  was  on  the  beach  to  welcome  the  Judge  and  his 
companions,  and  took  them  to  the  house  of  one  of  the 
elders,  which  was  built  on  posts,  and  was  comfortable. 
They  were  all  so  tired  and  seasick  that  they  did  little  that 
evening  but  rest,  and  the  people  who  came  to  pay  their 
respects  were  told  to  come  again  in  the  morning. 

Saturday  morning  they  held  a  grand  levee,  when 
nearly  the  entire  population  came  to  see  the  strangers  and 
shake  hands ;  this  latter  ceremony  being  almost  the  only 
civilized  custom  that  had  as  yet  reached  this  remote  region. 
It  was  indeed  a  heathen  community,  rough  and  rude,  but 
kindly  disposed  toward  the  strangers,  and  they  had  noth- 
ing to  fear. 

The  Judge  was  surprised  to  learn  that  here  there  was 
a  church  with  more  than  a  hundred  members,  and  that 
among  the  by  no  means  attractive  crowd  was  many  a  true 
disciple  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus ;  it  seemed  scarcely 
credible  that  this  wild  tribe  was  pressing  into  the  king- 
dom ;  and  yet  such  was  the  case. 

When  a  white  person  goes  into  an  African  village  he 
is  regarded  as  a  great  natural  curiosity,  and  all  of  his 
movements  being  a  matter  of  wonder,  are  closely  watched, 
so  that  there  is  little  privacy,  and  this  our  friends  found  to 

258 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

be  true  in  their  case ;  go  where  they  would  there  were 
always  followers,  respectful,  to  be  sure,  but  the  sense  of 
being  always  gazed  at  is  not  always  pleasant. 

Evuni  is  built  on  a  level,  sandy  plain,  and  owing  to 
the  great  number  of  oil  and  cocoanut-palm  trees,  plan- 
tains and  cassava  bushes,  there  is  little  breeze,  and  it  is 
very  hot  indeed.  The  young  folks  were  covered  with 
prickly  heat,  so  that  the  skin  was  as  rough  as  nutmeg 
graters. 

Sabbath  morning  was  bright  and  clear,  and  through- 
out the  town  work  was  generally  suspended,  and  toward 
nine  o'clock  the  people  began  to  assemble  in  the  church. 
This  building  was  entirely  the  product  of  native  skill,  no 
white  man  having  in  any  way  assisted  in  its  construction ; 
it  is  low,  built  of  bark,  with  two  doors  at  either  end,  but 
with  no  windows  or  openings  of  any  kind  on  the  sides. 
The  floor  is  mother  earth,  trampled  hard  and  smooth. 
Down  each  side  were  two  long,  parallel  poles  supported  on 
crotched  sticks.  Across  this  space,  from  pole  to  pole,  were 
slabs  cut  from  trees,  and  part  of  the  congregation  rested 
uneasily  on  these ;  the  remainder  brought  in  with  them 
empty  kerosene  and  gin  boxes,  pieces  of  broken  canoe  and 
chunks  of  fire-wood,  and  setting  these  wherever  they  could 
find  room,  they  sat  upon  them  as  well  as  they  were  able, 
being  often  obliged  to  share  a  portion  of  the  space  with  a 
friend. 

The  pulpit  platform  was  three  cord-wood  sticks  cov- 
ered with  boards  from  old  boxes ;  these  boards  were  of 
different  lengths  and  thicknesses,  and  withal  somewhat 
twisted,  nor  were  they  nailed  to  the  cord-wood,  so  that  the 
preacher  needed  to  be  supple  to  keep  from  getting  his  feet 
tangled.  The  pulpit  itself  was  made  from  the  same  kind 
of  boards,  and  covered  with  a  trade  blanket  Although 

259 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

the  house  was  not  large,  three  hundred  persons  crowded 
themselves  in  it,  and  another  hundred  stood  about  the 
doors ;  the  sun  shone  down  with  great  power  and  the  heat 
presently  became  almost  insupportable. 

After  the  devotional  exercises  Judge  McGee  was 
invited  to  preach,  which  he  did,  using  an  interpreter  as  at 
Bata.  The  sea  of  wild  faces  that  were  turned  toward  the 
speaker  was  a  wondrous  sight  to  behold,  and  as  their 
unattractive  features  lighted  up  with  the  glow  of  heavenly 
love,  it  seemed  as  if  already  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
had  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  when  such  wild 
tribes  as  these  obeyed  His  word. 

After  the  sermon  a  collection  was  taken,  and  as  there 
is  no  money  here  the  people  gave  such  things  as  they  had. 
Four  men  worked  their  way  through  the  mass  and  took 
the  offerings  of  the  people,  which  consisted  of  plates, 
mugs,  handkerchiefs,  leaves  of  tobacco,  brass  and  copper 
rods,  bowls,  glasses,  knives,  beads  and  baskets;  and  one 
man  ga^e  his  shirt.  The  Judge  was  an  old  Presbyterian 
elder,  but  he  had  never  seen  such  a  "collection"  as  that. 
When  the  services  were  ended  the  white  visitors  were 
"nearly  melted,"  but  they  could  not  go  home  until  they 
had  shaken  hands  all  around,  and  this  took  almost  an 
hour ;  it  was  very  trying,  but  it  was  all  they  could  do  for 
these  poor  people,  and  so  they  did  it  willingly. 

On  Monday  morning  the  Band  were  on  the  beach  by 
eight  o'clock ;  the  surf  was  about  four  feet  high,  the  roll- 
ing billows  combing  over  finely  and  breaking  in  masses 
of  foam  upon  the  sandy  shore.  The  young  folks  remem- 
bered their  wetting  on  Friday  and  they  expected  the  same 
again,  but  were  agreeably  disappointed  for  the  Kru-boys 
managed  the  boat  with  great  skill  and  a  few  drops  only 
sprinkled  them.  When  all  were  on  board  the  cutter,  the 

260 


BAT  A— EVUNI— BATANGA 

Nassau  spread  her  white  wings  to  the  morning  breeze  and 
sailed  away  to  the  nortlnvard,  keeping  the  coast-line 
ahvays  in  sight. 

Toward  sundown  she  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Campo 
river  which  is  the  dividing  line  between  the  French  and 
German  possessions ;  when  the  boys  heard  that  this  river 
had  never  been  explored  they  were  seized  with  a  desire  to 
ascend  it  at  once,  but  their  ardor  was  somewhat  cooled 
when  they  were  told  that  if  they  did  so  the  natives 
would  almost  surely  murder  them. 

The  boys  asked  the  Judge  why  it  was  that  the  Afri- 
cans did  not  like  to  have  white  men  travel  in  their 
country. 

The  Judge  replied  there  were  two  reasons :  first,  the 
negro  loves  his  country  and  he  very  naturally  wants  to 
keep  it  for  himself;  the  white  man  belongs  to  a  superior 
race  and  if  he  visits  the  country,  who  knows  but  he  may 
like  it  so  well  he  will  want  to  return  and  take  it  for  his 
own?  The  second  reason  is,  that  the  profits  of  trade 
depend  upon  keeping  the  white  man  near  the  sea,  other- 
wise he  will  deal  directly  with  the  interior  tribes  and  their 
percentage  as  middlemen  will  be  gone. 

The  boys  admitted  the  negro's  head  was  a  level  one, 
viewed  in  the  light  of  Anglo-Saxon  wisdom,  but  still  they 
felt  they  would  like  to  see  the  river  and  when  they  got  to 
be  men  they  would  come  out  to  Africa  and  see  what 
could  be  done. 

At  sunrise  the  next  morning  the  Nassau  anchored  off 
Batanga  and  the  Band  gazed  eagerly  to  see  what  the  place 
looked  like.  As  the  sun  rose  over  the  tree-tops  and 
lighted  up  the  eastern  hills,  it  shone  on  as  fair  a  landscape 
as  is  seen  in  the  tropics.  Away  to  the  southeast  was 
Elephant  Mountain  covered  to  its  summit  with  a  thick 

261 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

forest  growth ;  in  the  far  distance  were  the  peaks  of  the 
coast  range,  while  in  the  foreground  was  a  rolling  country 
thickly  dotted  with  villages,  and  with  rocky  headlands  at 
intervals  jutting  into  the  sea. 

The  friends  at  the  American  mission  had  already 
noticed  the  cutter  and  had  hung  a  flag  out  over  the  end 
of  the  piazza,  and  several  of  the  native  people  had  come 
down  to  the  beach  and  were  waving  their  handkerchiefs ; 
evidently  a  warm  welcome  was  awaiting  them  ashore  and 
they  lost  no  time  in  getting  the  boat  ready.  As  at  Bata, 
only  half  the  Band  could  be  accommodated  in  the  boat  at 
once,  so  the  boys  were  left  to  come  on  the  second  trip. 

Good  Brother  Brier  was  watchiug  them  through  his 
glass,  and  when  he  saw  how  many  passengers  were  com- 
ing, he  and  Mrs.  Brier  went  down  to  the  landing  to  meet 
them.  There  are  a  great  many  rocks  along  this  part  of 
the  coast  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  land ;  Mr.  Brier 
pointed  out  the  way  to  steer  and  so  they  passed  safely 
among  the  great  black  stones  and  reached  the  beach  with- 
out mishap.  Mrs.  Brier  was  particularly  delighted  to  see 
the  girls,  for  she  was  the  only  white  lady  at  Batanga  and 
it  was  like  home  again  to  see  so  many  bright  faced  girls. 

The  Mission  House  is  near  the  sea,  and  indeed  the 
premises  include  a  part  of  the  beach;  this  struck  the 
Judge  as  a  good  idea,  for  as  the  sea  is  the  only  highway 
of  travel,  why  the  mission  premises  should  be  half  a  mile 
away  as  at  Gaboon,  he  could  not  understand. 

This  station  has  been  occupied  by  a  white  missionary 
but  a  very  short  time  and  the  buildings  are  therefore 
new.  The  Judge  noted  with  interest  the  progress  that 
had  been  made  in  the  art  of  building ;  the  posts  were  of 
brick  laid  in  cement,  instead  of  wooden  piles ;  the  frame- 
work was  stronger ;  the  roof  of  galvanized  iron  instead  of 

262 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

palm-leaf  mats,  and  the  paint  a  pretty  tinted  shade  instead 
of  the  glaring  white,  which  in  the  brilliant  sunlight  is 
painful  to  the  eyes.  The  steps  leading  to  the  piazzas  were 
solid  brick-work,  the  kitchen  had  a  brick  floor  and  there 
were  excellent  cisterns  for  holding  the  water  that  came 
from  the  iron  roofs.  The  house,  although  but  of  one  story, 
had  high  ceilings,  and  Mrs.  Brier  had  decorated  it  with 
many  nice  little  keepsakes — memories  of  her  girlhood 
days — so  that  it  had  a  wonderfully  home-like  appearance. 
Near  by  was  a  factory  belonging  to  a  Bristol  firm,  and 
across  the  small  creek  that  flowed  by  the  mission  premises, 
were  two  German  factories.  Just  beyond  the  English  fac- 
tory was  the  house  of  Madula,  the  chief  of  this  district, 
and  a  humble  consistent  Christian. 

After  the  boys  came  ashore  and  a  good  hot  break- 
fast had  dispelled  the  last  feeling  of  seasickness,  the  Judge 
and  Mr.  Brier  adjourned  to  the  piazza  for  a  good  talk, 
while  Mrs.  Brier  took  the  girls  with  her,  and  the  boys 
Avent  down  to  the  beach  with  Rev.  Mr.  Etongolo  to  see 
the  fishermen  go  out  in  their  small  canoes. 

The  Batanga  fishermen  use  a  small  canoe  not  found 
elsewhere  on  the  coast ;  it  is  made  of  soft  wood,  pointed 
at  both  ends,  and  is  so  light  that  it  may  easily  be  carried 
in  one  hand.  It  is  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  inches 
wide  in  the  middle  and  is  so  frail  in  appearance  that  it 
seems  incredible  that  it  can  support  a  man  upon  a  rough 
sea.  But  these  Batanga  fishermen  do  not  fear,  and  to 
them  the  little  canoes  are  all-sufficient,  for  under  their 
skillful  handling  they  ride  the  seas  like  a  duck.  Mr. 
Etongolo  explained  to  the  boys  that  when  paddling,  the 
men  put  their  feet  in  the  canoes,  but  when  they  wished 
to  anchor  they  hung  their  feet  over  the  sides  and  worked 
them  back  and  forth  in  the  water,  thus  steadying  the  craft 

263 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

and  leaving  their  arms  free  for  handling  the  lines.  Nets1 
are  not  used  here  as  at  Gaboon,  but  all  the  fishing  is  done 
with  hook  and  line.  There  are  few  fish  and  these  keep 
near  the  bottom  in  three  to  four  fathoms  of  water,  so  that 
ordinary  nets  would  not  reach  them. 

Fishing  is  not  a  paying  business,  and  yet  as  there  is 
no  other  way  of  getting  flesh  it  is  a  necessary  occupation, 
and  every  family  sends  at  least  one  representative  to  the 
sea  every  morning.  The  men  go  out  from  eight  to  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  return  at  noon ;  the  boys 
looked  in  several  of  their  canoes  and  found  they  averaged 
about  four  fish  each ;  these  wrere  like  our  catfish  and  one 
kind  was  like  a  large  sunfish,  but  of  a  pink  color.  Mr. 
Brier  sent  his  cook  down  to  get  some  fish,  but  he  could 
only  buy  them  with  cans  of  compressed  corn-beef,  and 
even  then  he  had  to  pay  large  prices. 

All  other  kinds  of  native  food  are  as  scarce  at 
Batanga  as  fish,  and  it  is  a  constant  struggle  with  the 
poorest  to  get  enough  to  eat,  and  then  they  do  not  always 
succeed.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  men  are  wholly 
given  to  the  ivory  trade,  and  like  our  merchant  princes  at 
home,  they  do  not  care  to  dig  in  the  ground  ;  there  is  no 
back  country  here  able  and  willing  to  supply  the  pro- 
vision market,  and  so  the  successful  traders  buy  rice,  cod- 
fish and  other  food  from  the  factories,  large  quantities  of 
which  are  imported  for  the  purpose. 

The  country  back  of  Batanga  consists  of  one  unbroken 
jungle  or  forest  through  which  extends  a  range  of  moun- 
tains of  moderate  height  at  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty 
miles  from  the  coast,  with  here  and  there  a  detached  hill 
nearer  the  sea,  of  which  the  Elephant  Mountain  is  an 
example.  So  far  as  known,  this  forest  continues  in  an 
easterly  direction  all  the  way  to  the  Congo  river ;  but  in, 

264 


NATIVE  TRADER,    OLD  CALABAR 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

a  northeasterly  direction,  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  there  is  an  open,  grassy  country,  with  a  large 
population,  and  beyond  these,  say  some  two  hundred  miles 
more,  the  people  build  houses  of  a  circular  form  and 
use  horses.  A  narrow  strip  of  this  forest  land  next  to 
the  sea,  say  perhaps  twenty  miles  in  width,  is  inhabited ; 
after  which  the  forest  is  a  wilderness  until  the  open,  grassy 
country  is  reached. 

Throughout  this  forest  the  rubber  vine  is  abundant,, 
and  there  is  some  ivory  in  the  country  beyond  the  forest, 
and  the  price  is  very  low,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  trans- 
porting it  to  the  sea.  The  article  that  bears  the  highest 
price  is  salt ;  a  small  handful  is  the  price  of  a  slave,  and  a 
basinful  will  purchase  a  tusk  of  ivory.  The  people  of 
this  inland  country  are  industrious  and  carefully  cultivate 
the  soil,  and  if  a  railroad  were  built  to  their  country  and 
rum  kept  out,  they  might  be  induced  to  raise  many  valu- 
able articles  for  export.  The  cost  of  building  such  a  road 
would  not  be  great,  and  if  a  subsidy  in  land  were  given, 
in  a  few  years  it  would  pay  well. 

Toward  evening  Mr.  Brier  and  the  Judge  walked  up 
the  beach  a  couple  of  miles  to  inspect  a  tract  of  ground 
Mr.  Reading  had  purchased  a  few  months  before,  upon 
which  it  was  proposed  to  build  a  new  central  station  for 
the  work  to  be  carried  on  in  the  German  possessions.  In 
the  year  1888,  Mr.  Reading  made  an  arrangement  with 
the  German  governor,  Baron  Soden,  by  which  the  Society 
he  represented  should  be  permitted  to  extend  its  work  and 
acquire  property  in  the  Batanga  district,  and  as  far  in- 
teriorward  as  it  was  able  to  go ;  preaching  and  religious 
teaching  was  to  be  unrestricted,  and  schools  might  be 
formed  and  taught  wholly  in  the  native  tongue,  but  if  a 
foreign  language  were  taught,  it  should  be  the  German. 

26.=: 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

These  terms  are  more  liberal  than  those  given  by  the 
French  colonial  government,  and  it  was  thought  best  to 
extend  the  work  in  the  German  territory  as  soon  as  men 
and  means  might  be  obtained. 

The  land  purchased  for  the  new  central  station  rises 
abruptly  from  the  sea  to  a  height  of  forty  feet  and  then 
extends  away  in  an  almost  level  plateau  to  the  eastward. 
There  is  a  rocky  headland  jutting  out  into  the  sea,  and 
this  shelters  a  little  bay  from  the  southwest  sea-breeze, 
which  makes  a  comfortable  landing  place.  The  soil  is 
rich,  and  there  is  a  small  stream  of  never  failing  water. 
From  the  bluff  a  fine  view  was  obtained  of  the  sea,  and 
also  up  and  down  the  coast ;  the  Judge  was  much  pleased 
with  the  situation,  and  thought  it  would  be  a  comfortable 
place  in  which  to  live,  as  it  was  open  on  all  sides  to  the 
breeze. 

On  Wednesday  an  excursion  was  made  to  the  water- 
fall, which  is  a  little  more  than  a  mile  beyond  the  new  mis- 
sion premises,  visited  by  the  Judge  the  evening  before. 
Chief  Madula  loaned  his  big  canoe  and  men  to  paddle  it, 
and  this,  with  Mr.  Brier's  boat,  comfortably  accommodaed 
all  the  party. 

They  got  away  early,  and  the  ride  along  the  shore  in 
the  fresh  morning  air  was  delightful,  and  the  young  folks 
were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  These  falls  are  within  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  ocean,  and  it  is  a  novel  sight  to  be 
able  to  see  a  fine  waterfall  from  the  deck  of  an  ocean 
steamer.  They  crossed  the  bar,  entered  the  river,  and 
made  a  careful  inspection  of  the  falls ;  these  are  in  two 
sections  as  at  Niagara,  only  one  section  of  which  is  seen 
in  the  engraving,  the  other  being  away  to  the  right.  The 
fall  is  about  forty  feet,  and  the  water  is  nearly  ten  degrees 
colder  than  the  sea  water.  It  is  safe  to  go  up  to  the  very 

266 


BATA— EVUNI— BATANGA 

«dge  of  the  falling  water,  and  thus  an  excellent  view  may 
be  obtained,  although  in  going  so  near  the  spray  soon 
thoroughly  wets  one's  clothing. 

After  rowing  about  and  enjoying  the  falls  from  every 
point  of  view,  the  party  landed,  and  after  a  call  at  the 
English  factory  on  the  point,  they  went  up  into  the  native 
town  to  pay  a  visit  to  Bevinia  [Ba-vee-nea]  the  chief  of 
this  district.  This  young  man  had  in  former  years  been 
one  of  Mr.  Reading's  pupils  in  Gaboon ;  now  he  was  the 
head  of  his  tribe,  a  man  of  influence,  and  a  most  con- 
sistent Christian.  He  lived  in  a  good  house  and  had  a 
nice  family,  and  it  was  pleasant  to  see  such  a  real  Christian 
home  in  this  wild  country. 

Mr.  Hervey,  the  gentleman  at  the  factory,  had  invited 
them  all  to  lunch,  and  about  noon  they  went  to  his  house 
and  the  Band  had  a  good  time  looking  at  his  pictures,  for 
he  is  an  amateur  artist  and  takes  photographs  for  amuse- 
ment. About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  went 
home,  and  that  night  their  dreams  were  full  of  all  kinds 
of  impossible  cascades  and  waterfalls. 


267 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


RETURN  TO  GABOON. 


morning,  December  4th,  was  an- 
other  of  those  beautiful  days  so  common  in 
Western  Africa.  The  rains  had  passed  to 
the  southward  and  the  delightful  dry-season 
had  begun ;  the  heavens  were  not  covered  with  dull  gray 
clouds  as  is  often  the  case  in  the  dry-season  farther  south- 
ward on  the  coast,  but  great  masses  of  white  cumuli,  like 
immense  snow-banks  in  the  air,  reflected  the  brilliant  sun- 
light. A  solemn  hush  had  fallen  upon  the  landscape ;  the 
factories  were  closed,  and  no  fishing  canoes  were  to  be 
seen  upon  the  water. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  people  from  a  distance  began 
to  stream  by  with  their  best  clothes  under  their  arms ; 
they  had  come  from  a  distance  to  attend  the  church  serv- 
ices and  were  going  to  their  friends  in  the  town,  where 
they  would  dress  and  come  forth  in  a  manner  befitting 
the  occasion.  As  men's  ready-made  clothing  is  more 
easily  obtained  than  women's,  the  men  appeared  to- 
better  advantage  than  did  their  wives  and  daughters; 

268 


RETURN  TO  GABOON 

nearly  all  the  dresses  were  made  by  the  wearers  and  did 
not  fit  well,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  experienced  dress- 
makers could  find  abundant  employment  if  they  should 
go  to  Batanga. 

The  church  in  this  place  is  over  sixty  feet  long,  but 
on  special  occasions  it  can  hold  but  little  more  than  half 
the  people  who  come  to  the  services.  The  floor  is  elevated 
on  posts  about  five  feet  above  the  ground,  and  the  space 
underneath  is  occupied  by  a  good-sized  audience  seated 
on  chairs,  stools,  empty  boxes  and  pieces  of  firewood.  On 
this  particular  Sabbath  morning,  along  the  shady  side  of 
the  church,  cord-wood  sticks  had  been  laid  down  in  rows 
and  boards  laid  on  them,  thus  increasing  the  seating 
capacity. 

In  order  that  this  outside  congregation  might  hear  the 
better,  when  the  church  was  built,  not  only  were  many 
windows  made  in  the  sides,  but  large  openings  were  also 
made  near  the  floor,  so  that  sound  might  find  its  way  down 
underneath  as  much  as  possible.  By  the  time  the  second 
bell  had  ceased  ringing,  the  building  was  packed,  and  a 
sea  of  dark  faces  gathered  about  every  door  and  window. 

As  the  services  progressed  the  Judge  noticed  another 
use  made  of  these  openings  near  the  floor.  At  Batanga 
there  are  a  great  many  babies,  which  is  in  marked  contrast 
with  Gaboon,  wrhere  babies  are  a  rarity  unless  it  be  mulat- 
toes.  These  babies  are  brought  to  church  and  as  the  serv- 
ices are  long,  the  babies  by  and  by  get  tired  and  cry ;  the 
crowded  condition  of  the  house  makes  it  difficult  for  the 
mother  to  get  out,  so  she  slips  her  little  one  down  through 
one  of  these  openings  to  a  friend  outside  who  takes  it 
away  to  town.  This  handy  contrivance  excited  the 
admiration  of  the  Judge,  and  proved' to  his  mind  that  the 
African  is  capable  of  invention. 

269 


RETURN  TO  GABOON 

The  Sabbath-school  in  the  afternoon  numbered  over 
four  hundred  scholars,  and  the  church  work  at  this  station 
is  very  successful  in  all  its  branches. 

On  Tuesday  morning  the  outward-bound  German 
steamer  Ella  Woennann,  commanded  by  Captain  Dittmer, 
anchored  off  Batanga,  and  the  Judge  determined  to  return 
to  Gaboon  in  her.  The  prevailing  wind  on  this  part  of 
the  coast  is  from  the  southwest,  and  this,  with  the  strong 
northerly  current,  makes  it  easy  to  sail  north,  and  corre- 
spondingly difficult  to  sail  in  a  southerly  direction.  It 
takes  a  week  for  the  Nassau  to  go  from  Batanga  to 
Gaboon,  and  sometimes  longer,  and  even  though  it  were 
the  young  folks'  "very  own  vessel,"  a  week  on  board  such 
a  small  craft  would  be  not  only  tedious,  but  very  ex- 
hausting. 

Then  too  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brier  wanted  to  go  to 
Gaboon,  and  so  it  was  arranged  that  all  should  go  on  the 
Ella  Woermann  together  and  let  the  cutter  follow  at  its 
leisure.  By  five  o'clock  that  afternoon  they  were  all  on 
board,  and  at  sundown  the  steamer  weighed  anchor  and 
started  for  Gaboon,  which  port  it  reached  on  Friday  morn- 
ing, having  spent  one  day  at  Bata,  and  one  day  at  Eloby. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reading  gave  their  guests  a  warm  wel- 
come, and  the  Band  found  it  very  nice  to  be  once  more 
back  at  Gaboon,  which  was  so  home-like,  that  notwith- 
standing its  tropical  appearance,  they  could  almost  forget 
they  were  in  the  Dark  Continent.  It  took  them  a  day  or 
two  to  get  rested,  and  then  they  spent  some  time  explor- 
ing Gaboon  and  getting  better  acquainted  with  its  people. 

They  visited  among  others  the  Rev.  Toko  Truman, 
an  old  blind  preacher,  who  told  them  a  great  many  stories 
and  always  had  something  new  with  which  to  amuse 
them.  Toko  had  lived  for  many  years  among  the  canni- 

270       ' 


RETURN  TO  GABOON 

bals  and  the  Band  never  tired  of  hearing  stories  of  these 
strange  people.  "One  time,"  said  Toko,  "a  man  asked 
me,  '  Toko  when  I  die  will  I  go  to  heaven  ? '  and  I  told 
him,  no,  God  has  made  a  law  that  a  man  can  have  but  one 
wife,  and  you  have  four  wives,  and  so  you  cannot  go  to 
Heaven. 

" '  Well,  Toko,'  said  this  cannibal,  '  when  God  calls  me 
I  will  say,  all  right  Father,  I  will  come,  but  you  have  all 
the  power,  so  don't  be  in  a  hurry,  let  us  sit  down  and  talk 
a  while.  Then,  Toko,  I  will  say  to  Him,  you  knew  when 
I  lived  in  the  earth  that  if  you  gave  me  plenty  of  trade 
goods  I  would  go  and  buy  women  with  them,  and  so  you 
ought  not  to  have  given  me  these  goods ;  therefore  the 
palaver  [or  fault],  is  yours!'" 

"  Another  time,"  continued  Toko,  "  I  was  preaching 
about  the  resurrection  and  after  the  service  some  of  the 
chiefs  came  to  my  house  and  asked  me,  'Toko,  these 
things  that  you  told  us  to-day,  are  they  true?'  and  I  told 
them,  '  Yes,  those  things  I  told  you,  they  are  true ; '  and 
then  they  said  to  me,  '  Toko,  we  want  you  to  wrrite  to  God 
and  tell  Him  when  He  goes  to  make  this  war  He  must 
send  and  give  us  notice,  and  then,  Toko,  we  will  go  in  the 
bush  and  call  more  than  fifty  thousand  Pangwes  [Pang- 
wees],  and  we  will  have  a  big  fight.' " 

"Another  time  a  man  said  to  me,  'Toko,  I  want  you 
tell  me,  are  there  any  egumas  in  Heaven,  and  are  there 
any  plantains  there?'  and  I  said  to  him,  'Heaven  is  a 
world  of  spirits,  and  I  do  not  read  that  there  are  any 
egumas  or  plantains  there.' 

"  'Well,  Toko,'  said  this  man,  'I  don't  see  what  God 
wants  with  so  many  people  when  He  has  no  egumas  or 
plantains  to  feed  them ;  now  if  you  will  tell  me  there  are 


271 


RETURN  TO  GABOON 

egumas  in  Heaven,  I  will  go  there,  but  if  not,  then,  Toko, 
I  don't  want  to  go  there.' " 

"  Another  time  I  think  they  must  have  gotten  hun- 
gry for  in  the  night  a  big  canoeful  of  men  came  to  kill 
me,  but  just  as  they  were  coming  around  the  bend  in  the 
river  one  of  the  men  stood  up  in  the  canoe  and  said, 
4  What  are  we  going  to  do  this  for?  we  cannot  kill  Toko 
because  he  settles  all  our  quarrels  for  us.'  Then  another 
answered  and  said,  '  When  we  go  to  war,  we  go  to  war, 
and  we  cannot  stop  because  a  man  settles  our  quarrels  for 
us.'  So  then  they  soon  began  to  quarrel  among  them- 
selves and  wrhile  they  were  quarreling  the  canoe  drifted 
back,  and  presently  they  went  home  and  I  knew  nothing 
of  it  until  several  days  afterward." 

The  young  folks  were  also  interested  in  watching  the 
singular  actions  of  a  very  curious  little  bird  which  had,  in 
great  numbers,  built  their  nests  in  a  large  palm  tree  near 
Mr.  Reading's  house.  The  habits  of  these  gay  little 
workers  are  most  remarkable,  and  the  Band  never  wearied 
in  watching  their  movements.  They  are  not  much  larger 
than  a  sparrow,  with  black  and  yellow  plumage,  and  their 
«ggs  are  light  pink  with  dark  spots. 

These  sociable  little  birds  always  prefer  to  live  in  the 
neighborhood  of  a  village,  as  they  seem  fond  of  the 
society  of  man,  something  as  our  own  swallows  are. 
When  they  have  settled  upon  a  tree  on  which  to  plant  a 
colony,  they  labor  from  daylight  to  dark,  day  after  day, 
with  the  utmost  joy,  and  fun,  and  perseverance,  in  building 
their  singular  pendant  nests.  These  nests  are  nearly 
round,  with  a  tight  roof  overhead,  and  an  opening  under- 
neath to  go  in  and  out,  and  are  securely  fastened  to  the 
end  of  a  palm-frond,  so  as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  monkeys 
and  serpents. 

272 


RETURN  TO  GABOON 

To  build  these  fine  nests  the  birds  strip  the  tough 
outside  fiber  of  the  palm  or  plantain  leaf,  and  tear  this 
fiber  into  long  fine  threads ;  they  then  weave  their  nests 
with  these  threads,  using  both  beak  and  feet,  working  most 
industriously  and  chattering  all  the  while,  110  doubt  to 
encourage  one  another ;  anyhow  that  is  what  the  Band 
thought.  These  nests  are  real  little  houses  in  which  the 
birds  live  all  the  year ;  when  the  young  birds  are  large 
enough  the  older  ones  help  them  to  build  a  nest,  and  so, 
as  it  were,  begin  housekeeping  for  themselves. 

The  second  Sabbath  after  the  return  of  the  Band  from 
Batanga  was  a  great  day  for  the  congregation  of  the 
Gaboon  church.  The  old  church  building  had  stood  for 
some  thirty  years,  and  had  been  often  repaired,  but  it  was 
now  nearly  past  repair,  and  for  more  than  a  year  Mr. 
Reading  had  been  directing  his  men  in  the  building 
of  a  new  house  of  worship.  The  labor  was  all  done 
by  native  workmen,  and  the  mechanical  execution  was 
superior  to  that  found  in  many  pretentious  buildings 
in  America.  The  house  is  of  frame  with  galvanized 
iron  roof,  and  is  supported  upon  brick  piers  covered  with 
cement.  The  steps  are  made  of  brick  and  stone  and  united 
by  mortar  and  cement  into  one  solid  structure,  and  does 
not  quite  touch  the  church  so  that  the  rain  will  not  rot 
the  sills  by  reason  of  their  being  in  contact  with  the 
bricks.  It  is  beautifully  finished  inside,  the  pews  being 
in  old  oak  and  the  walls  and  ceiling  pearl  color,  with 
darker  trimmings  about  the  doors  and  windows.  The 
pulpit  furniture  was  given  by  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society 
connected  with  the  church,  and  a  part  of  the  cost  was 
defrayed  by  the  congregation. 

Long  before  the  second  bell  rang  the  people  began  to 
gather  and  soon  the  house  was  filled  to  overflowing.  The 

xviii  273 


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choir  were  out  in  full  force  and  sat  on  the  right  of  the 
pulpit  [the  left  hand  side  of  the  illustration],  while  the 
Band  occupied  the  opposite  corner  near  the  door. 

After  the  invocation  and  the  reading  of  CXXII  Psalm, 
the  congregation  sang  "Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
Almighty ! "  and  Mr.  Brier  read  the  eighth  chapter  of  the 
First  Book  of  Kings,  and  then  the  choir  sang  "  I  will  tell 
the  wondrous  story,"  to  the  tune  of  "My  Redeemer." 
Mr.  Owondo  then  read  the  same  lesson  in  Mpongwe  and 
the  congregation  sang  an  Mpongwe  hymn. 

Mr.  Brier  read  the  order  of  dedication  and  offered  the 
dedicatory  prayer,  and  Mr.  Reading  preached  the  sermon 
from  the  text  "  I  have  surely  built  thee  a  house  to  dwell 
in;  a  settled  place  for  thee  to  abide  in  forever."  There 
were  several  more  hymns  and  an  exhortation  from  Mr. 
Brier,  closing  with  the  benediction  by  the  old  blind  min- 
ister, Rev.  Toko  Truman. 

It  was  a  glad  day  for  every  one,  and  all  the  people 
rejoiced  and  congratulated  each  other  upon  the  comple- 
tion of  God's  house. 

Saturday,  the  twenty-fourth,  was  celebrated  for  Christ- 
mas ;  this  festival  is  well  observed  in  Gaboon,  although,  of 
course,  little  is  known  of  it  in  the  country  districts ;  indeed 
one  should  remember  that  while  Gaboon  is  a  civilized  city, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  go  ten  miles  in  the  country  to  find 
the  grossest  heathenism,  accompanied  by  human  sacrifices 
and  cannibalism. 

In  Gaboon,  Christmas  is  a  day  of  sight-seeing  and 
pleasure;  in  the  morning  the  towns-people,  dressed  in 
their  best,  call  upon  the  traders  and  other  foreign  resi- 
dents and  wish  them  "Kismas,"  of  course  expecting  some 
substantial  return. 


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After  this  ceremony  they  repair  to  the  cathedral  to 
see  the  sights  and  hear  the  music,  and  then  give  them- 
selves up  to  all  kinds  of  pleasure  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day  and  evening,  ending  with  a  big  dance  in  the  public 
garden. 

At  the  American  mission,  work  went  on  as  usual  until 
noon,  and  then  every  one  received  a  good  piece  of  salt 
beef  for  his  dinner.  The  mission  family  had  their  dinner 
at  one  o'clock,  and  it  may  be  interesting  to  know  of  what 
an  African  Christinas  dinner  consists. 

The  dining-room  was  beautifully  decorated  with  ferns 
and  flowers  by  Hattie,  assisted  by  the  girls  of  the  Band, 
and  both  Africa  and  America  contributed  to  the  table ; 
the  roast  ducks,  sweet  potatoes,  spinach,  plantains  and 
peppers,  were  native,  while  the  oysters,  Irish  potatoes, 
baked  beans,  sweet  corn,  bread,  butter,  coffee,  mince-pie 
and  cheese  were  imported.  The  weather  was  as  warm  as 
in  July  at  home  and  the  doors  were  wide  open  to  admit 
the  breeze,  while  through  the  open  windows  came  the 
rustling  of  palm  leaves  and  the  twittering  of  birds. 

It  was  a  Christmas  such  as  the  Band  had  never  ex- 
perienced before,  and  the  thoughts  of  the  young  people 
turned  from  the  bright  scene  about  them  to  the  land  of  ice 
and  snow  across  the  stormy  ocean,  where  dear  ones  were 
gathering  by  home  firesides,  while  the  chill  winds  moaned 
through  the  bare  tree  tops  and  the  air  was  filled  with  fall- 
ing snow.  What  a  contrast ! 

In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  special  service  in-  the 
new  church,  in  which  the  choir  took  a  leading  part,  and 
the  evening  was  spent  in  pleasant  conversation  on  the 
veranda. 

And  now  with  the  closing  year  we  must  close  our 
story,  and  leave  for  another  volume  the  record  of  our 

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friends'  journey  toward  the  interior  upon  the  great  Ogowe 
river,  and  their  wonderful  adventures  among  the  cannibals 
and  the  pigmies  of  that  unknown  land. 


776 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


POLITICAL  DIVISIONS  ON  THE  WEST   COAST. 


O  give  some  idea  of  the  extent  to  which 
Africa  is  being  divided  among  the  nations 
the  following  "  political  section  "  of  Western 
Africa  is  given : 


Spain,    .  .  .  Morocco 

France, .  .  .  Morocco 

Spain,    .  .  .  Opposite  the  Canaries 

France, .  .  .  French  Senegambia 

England,  .  .  British  Senegambia 

France, .  .  .  French  Senegambia 

England,  .  .  British  Senegambia 

Portugal,  .  .  Portuguese  Senegambia 

England,  .  .  Sierra  Leone 

Independent, .  .  Republic  of  Liberia 

France, .  .  .  Gold  Coast 

England,  .  .  Gold  Coast 

France, .  .  .  Dahomey 

England,  .  .  Niger  Delta  and  Old  Calabar 

German}-,  .  .  Kamerun 

277 


POLITICAL  DIVISIONS  ON  THE  WEST  COAST 


France, . 

In  dispute,     . 

Spain,    . 

France, . 

Portugal, 

Congo  Free  State,  . 

Portugal, 

Germany, 

England, 

Germany, 

England, 


Bata 

Benita 

Eloby 

Gaboon 

Kebenda 

Congo 

Angola 

Angra  Pequena 

Walvisch  Bay 

Orange  River 

Cape  of  Good  Hope 


278 


